Reunited at Last
by anakinpadmeforlife
Summary: Anakin and Padme are finally reunited in the force after so long of being separated. Is their once irrational love still as powerful as ever? Will Padme forgive Anakin for the horrible things he's done? Or will Anakin suffer the costs of his actions?
1. Part 1

Anakin woke, as if from a dream. Slowly, sleepily, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, looking around. He seemed to be in a forest, full of towering trees and fresh green grass. The plants around him were healthy and covered with dew. A slight breeze blew softly, weaving between the trees like a silent snake. The sun shone down on the forest, the light filtering through the trees. Its rays warmed Anakin to the bone. It was very peaceful, and almost completely silent, save a few chirps from birds flying about. Anakin looked around again, confused. He had never seen this place in his life!

"Luke?" Anakin called. "Luke, are you here? Where are we?"

"Luke is not here." A deep voice said quietly. "We have been waiting for you for a long time."

Anakin turned around warily. Standing before him was Obi-Wan Kenobi, alive and well. He was wearing his Jedi robes, and he had a small smile on his face. Anakin was too shocked to speak.

"You are in the Force. Luke is still alive in the mortal world." Obi-Wan told him. "That was a very brave thing you did, Anakin. Saving your son from the hands of the Emperor proves that your heart has changed. I am proud of you. So are all the others."

"Obi-Wan?" Anakin said, still shocked. He slowly took a deep breath, letting everything his former master had said sink in. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes. Including Padme." Obi-Wan replied, smiling slightly at Anakin's immediate reaction.

"Padme?" Anakin cried. "D-Does she hate me?" he put his head in his hands in despair. Ever since Padme had died, Anakin had been aching to know whether she had forgiven him or not. He didn't know who in the world would still love him and forgive him after all that he had done. He expected the worse. Even angels would have a very hard time forgiving him.

"No." Anakin raised his head in disbelief, a single tear running down his cheek. Was it possible that she had forgiven him? He listened with bated breath for Obi-Wan's next words. "She still loves you. She has been crying everyday since you joined the dark side." Anakin felt a pang of guilt. He had caused her an abundant amount of pain! Oh, his poor angel...

"She has forgiven you, however. So have we all. Especially since you saved Luke. Still, she is heartbroken because of your actions."

Anakin jumped to his feet, determined to win back her undying love and trust. "Where is she?"

"She is sitting on a bench, a half hour's walk west from here. She has been waiting for you for a long time."

Anakin was about to take off, when he turned back and looked at Obi-Wan. "Master," he began. "I'm so, so sorry for killing all of those Jedi. For killing you. For killing all of those innocent people. I'm so sorry for becoming arrogant and selfish, for turning to the dark side. I apologize with all of me. I can't believe that you are so gracious as to forgive me after everything that I've done. I'll try to make it up to you someday, I promise."

Obi-Wan crushed Anakin into a hug. "Thank you for that apology, Anakin. It is accepted happily. I am glad that you have turned from your evil ways. I am very proud of you."

Anakin bowed, and then sprinted off westward, like he was running on the wind. Obi-Won chuckled softly and turned to go back to the others.

Anakin sprinted along, never slowing down. He couldn't wait to get to Padme! He needed to see her again, see her beautiful face, and hear her lovely voice. He needed to feel her comforting presence, to hold her in his arms and feel completely content. After sprinting for about fifteen minutes, he came upon a glade, warm and sunny. The surroundings reminded Anakin of Padme's garden in Naboo. The smell of flowers drifted in the air. To the right of the clearing, a huge lake was spread out, like an enormous mirror. The water was calm and tranquil, and it sparkled in the morning sun. In the center of the glade, there was a stone bench, intricately carved. And sitting on the bench, with her back to him, wearing the beautiful yellow dress that she had worn on that day when they had had a picnic in the meadow, was _Padme._ He stopped, panting from the tiring run.

She stood, and then slowly turned around. She was as breathtaking as ever. Her long, chocolate brown curls tumbled down her back. Her beautiful brown eyes stared, unblinkingly, into his. Her lips were as pink as a rose, and her cheeks were bright. Her form was as perfect as ever. She was an angel. _His angel.  
_

They were both too shocked to move. They just stared at each other for a long second. Then, he stumbled forward, tears in his eyes. "Padme." he whispered. "My angel. Oh, my angel. I am _so, so, so sorry_." He was about to continue when she ran forward, tears also in her eyes. They were running down her face, thick and fast.

"Ani!" she cried, sobbing. "Oh, Ani!" She ran around the bench and straight into his open arms. She sobbed into his shoulder, as Anakin held her as tight as he could without suffocating her. His tears were falling onto her hair as he held her, relishing the smell of her. They embraced for a long time, like the other was their lifeline. Finally, they broke apart just enough to be able to look at each other. "Anakin." Padme said softly. "I've missed you- so much. More than you can ever imagine. I can't believe you're here now."

Anakin fell to his knees in front of Padme. More tears leaked out of his eyes. "I'm so sorry that I turned to the dark side. I'm so sorry that I killed all of those Jedi. I'm so sorry that I didn't listen to you. I'm so sorry that I almost killed you. I'm so sorry you were forced to give birth to Luke and Leia without me to help you at all. I'm so sorry that I killed all of those innocent people. I'm so sorry that I didn't raise Luke and Leia, and that they were forced to become orphans. Oh, Padme. I've done so many terrible things. I don't know how you'll ever find it in your heart to forgive me." He was crying now. "I have thought about you every single day since you died. When I was dying by the river of lava, I only thought of you. Not a single day has past when I haven't thought of you. You are everything to me, Padme. When you died, I died as well. I can't live without you. You are the very thing that anchors me to the world. Without you, my life means nothing. I love you, Padme. So much. _So much._ " Padme was crying too, as she looked down into the face of her loving husband. This was _her Ani,_ the one that she had married. This was the Ani that she had missed so much in the short time before her death. This was the one that she thought about, all those years in the Force where she had been waiting for him. Her loving, caring, considerate husband, the one who only thought about others, the one who was completely selfless. _Her Ani._


	2. Part 2

Padme lunged towards Anakin and wrapped her arms around him. "Of _course_ I forgave you!" she breathed. "You mean the world to me, Anakin. I love you. So much that I can't even describe it. It hurt me when you went to the dark side, it's true, but in the end you saved our son and came back to me! That's all that matters now, Ani. I'm willing to forget every bad memory that happened in the past. I love you, and I always will."

Anakin stared adoringly at her. "Padme," he whispered. "What did I ever do to deserve someone like you? You are an angel." He leaned forward hesitantly and kissed her softly and lightly on the lips. They were as soft and as smooth as ever. She immediately responded and kissed him again, longer this time. When they drew back, she smiled at him.

"Why don't we go sit by the lake and eat lunch? It's almost noon, and you must be hungry," she teased, poking him in the stomach.

"Definitely." Anakin agreed. His face suddenly clouded in confusion. Where are we going to get the food?"

Padme laughed, a clear, contagious laugh that sounded like bells. "You just have to contact your personal servant!" she said, running down to the lakeshore. "Watch and learn, Jedi Skywalker!" They both burst into laughter as Anakin ran down to stand beside Padme.

Padme reached into the folds of her dress and withdrew a small silver walkie. "You will get your own when you go to headquarters. It will never get lost. If it falls out, it will always reappear in your pocket," she explained. Pressing a button, she said clearly, "please deliver a full picnic lunch for two, complete with silverware and a blanket." She grinned at Anakin. "The service is actually pretty fast! It will be here in a few minutes. The robots know where we are because the walkie talkie has a tracker." They both settled themselves onto the sand, just a foot or two away from the waves. Anakin put his arm about Padme, and she lay her head on his shoulder. They shared a moment of complete bliss.

Suddenly, just a couple minutes later, a small seaplane came swooping towards them. It landed smoothly on the surface of the lake and glided towards them. When it had reached solid ground, the door opened and a robot that looked a lot like R2 came out, carrying a huge wicker basket. Another robot that looked very similar came out behind the former, holding a warm red blanket and two green cushions for the couple to sit on. Anakin stared at it in amazement as Padme greeted the robots thankfully. "Thank you so much! You guys are the best! You really outdid yourselves!"

"No problem," the robots said in unison. "It is always a pleasure to serve Miss Padme." They bowed and retreated back into the aircraft. As the sea plane took off, Padme knelt down and opened up the wicker basket. The wonderful smell of hot soup filled the air. Leaning forward, Anakin could see that two bowls of chicken noodle soup were placed neatly inside, on top of a stack of napkins. Two forks, two spoon, and two knives were placed neatly inside, and a place of delicious looking roast beef sandwiches was packed inside too. Water bottles and glasses of apple, orange, mango, and guava juice in a corner of the basket. Bowls of fruit, salad, and every kind of cookie were inside as well!

"Wow!" Anakin nodded his approval. "Quite some service!" Padme laughed as they got all the food out and began to eat.

Sitting on the beach eating delicious food, with great weather, and especially with _his Padme,_ Anakin couldn't think of a better thing to be doing. He sighed in contentment, relishing the fact that he could be with his Padme forever; no worrying about her dying, about the Sith taking over, about evil assassins, about _anything._ For the rest of eternity, he could relax and enjoy every minute with his angel.

Leaning forward, he kissed Padme. The water lapped gently at their bare feet. Everything was perfect.

Suddenly, Anakin remembered something. _Their children! He NEEDED to know what happened to them!_

 _ **Thanks so much for reading! Sorry about the error earlier! For some reason, was copying everything wrong! Please follow, favorite, and review!**_


	3. Part 3

Anakin sat up quickly, almost knocking over his glass of mango juice. He looked worriedly at Padme. "How do you see into the human world?" he asked. "I want to check on Luke and Leia. I hope they're okay- I hope that the Republic has triumphed over the Empire. If even one determined person who is against the Rebels have survived, then that person could assassinate our children, who are the heroes of the Rebellion. They could also raise a powerful army, one that could destroy the Rebels one and for all."

Padme's expression now mirrored his- one of concern. "Yes. At "headquarters," or the place where all of the Jedi are, there is a seeing pool. You wish to see a person or a place, and it will show it to you. We should go there to check on Luke and Leia- plus, then you could see everyone else again that you haven't seen for a while."

Anakin nodded in agreement. They both finished up their lunch quickly and put the plates, silverware, and leftovers back into the wicker basket. Padme withdrew the walkie talkie from her pocket and called for a ride to Jedi headquarters. In a few minutes, another sea plane arrived. Anakin and Padme stepped aboard the tiny aircraft while robots brought the picnic stuff aboard. The couple settled in the back, cuddling with one another.

"I hope that our children are all right," Anakin said. "The Empire has some pretty powerful forces; ones that are quite able to escape and hide easily in times of need. The rebels might have missed them. I hope that they are alert, and that they aren't just partying," he chuckled at the thought, but his face darkened immediately afterwards. "We just have to hope that Sidious didn't start raising any other apprentices while I was gone fighting the Rebellion. If he did, that would be our biggest threat."

Padme lay her head on his chest, listening to the quick beating of his heart. "I hope they're all right." Then, she turned to look Anakin in the eye. "Ani, I'm so glad that you came back to me. I couldn't be happier about anything else in the world. All those years when I was waiting for you, watching you, I was worried that you would stay on the dark side forever. I worried what would happen if I was forced to lose hope of ever having you in my arms again. And now you're here... with me again... and my heart is so joyful that it feels like it might burst with happiness."

She buried her face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. He in turn buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair, so soft, and so many wonderful memories it brought back! He swallowed. "Oh, Padme, you are the most amazing person I could ever ask for. Without you, all those years, my life still existed, but that's all it managed to do. You are the light in me, Padme. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He kissed her softly. They held each other and kissed like the world was going to end.

When the plane landed a couple minutes later, Anakin and Padme reluctantly broke apart to get off. They were in a city, with a building that looked a lot like the old Jedi Temple. It was very modernized, with things that the human world had never even seen or thought of before. People bustled around, every one of them happy and content. Anakin and his wife thanked the robots and quickly set off towards the center of the city. They were immediately let into the Jedi Headquarters as soon as they arrived there. Inside, waiting for them, was Mace Windu, Yoda, Obi-Wan, and many other Jedi that Anakin had worked with long ago. Anakin couldn't believe that they were all there to meet him, after everything that had happened! They didn't even look angry!

Yoda stepped forward, and Anakin bowed. Padme followed his example. "Welcome. Did a good job, you did, Jedi Skywallker. Saved the rebels, you did. All forgiven you, we have. Proud of you we are."

Anakin stepped forward, and said, "I apologize for everything that I've done, and for all the trouble that I've caused. I know that I've been arrogant as well. I heartily regret it all, and I am so grateful that you have given me a second chance. I promise that I will make it up to you someday."

"Apology accepted." Mace Windu said quietly. "We have seen that your love for Padme blinded you, and that the Emperor told you that you could save Padme from childbirth if you grew strong in the Dark Side of the Force. Despite everything that you've done, you saved your son Luke in the end, and you killed the Emperor, thus saving the Republic. You came back to us. That is all that matters right now. We see that you are repentant- you have learned from your actions. We have all forgiven you for them."

Anakin's eyes started to tear up at the grace he was receiving. "Thank you so much, Master Windu. I am so sorry for letting the Dark Side of the Force turn me, despite everything that I learned from Master Kenobi. I am astonished at the mercy I am receiving- I know that I should be punished harshly for my terrible deeds. Thank you."

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a small smile. "I am proud to have been your master." He crushed his former padawan into a hug. "Now, I believe you came here for something else as well?"

"Yes," Anakin said. "I wanted to check on Luke and Leia to make sure that they are alright. Padme says that there is a Seeing Pool where you can see the human world.I hope that the Empire has been crushed, but you never know. "

Obi-Wan was frowning now. "Yes, we have discovered something disturbing. I will tell you about it on our way to the Seeing Pool. Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Won, Anakin, and Padme started off along a corridor, with Obi-Wan in the lead.

"Master Windu and Master Yoda were watching the human world when you and I met in the woods, and when you and Padme had your lakeside picnic. They saw something very disturbing. It seems that the Emperor started training a new apprentice shortly before he was killed- a young man who was capturned from Lando's "Land of the Clouds," who murdered his parents because they didn't support his idea of joining the Empire. The emperor decided to keep him, as he was a talented warrior and he needed a backup, in case something happened to you or Luke. He trained him in the Dark Side of the Force, and the young man soon became very powerful. When the Death Star blew up, this apprentice managed to escape in an escape pod. No one knows where he is now. Let us hope that he is not gathering an army for another attack on the Rebellion."

"This young man must have a lot of anger and resentment in him," Anakin realized. "This must make him very, very powerful."

"Exactly what we thought," Obi-Wan said, obviously very worried. "Ah- here we are."

They walked into a beautiful garden, filled with many different plants and trees. In the center of it was a pool about ten feet in diameter. Everyone crowded around it, and Anakin said clearly, "I wish to see my children Luke and Leia Skywalker."

The pool began to ripple, and the image of a battlefield appeared on the surface of the water. Thousands of storm troopers advanced in on the rebels, who had just been partying an hour ago. Planes swooped overheard, killing many rebels as they tried their best to fight against the surprise attack. In the center of the fray was Luke, taking down storm trooper after storm trooper with his deadly light saber. Despite the horrifying scene, Anakin smiled proudly. Leia and Han were holding blasters and firing them at the Imperial soldiers, hitting almost every single target. But things were not looking good for the Rebel Alliance. They were outnumbered by way too much. Suddenly, Lando fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. He yelled in pain as Han and Leia ran over to him.

"Lando! Han cried. "Lando! Wake up! You're going to be fine!" He shook Lando, while Leia stood over them with tears in her eyes.

"LANDO! You can't die! We need you!" Han yelled. Just as they were beginning to lose hope, Lando opened his eyes, gasping for oxygen. "It-hurts," he panted, trying to get up. Instead, he cried out in pain and fell back down.

"We'll get you to the medical center immediately, Lando! You're going to be fine!" Han yelled for R2 and C3PO, who appeared by their side in a matter of seconds. "Take Lando to the medical center as fast as you can! No delays! Make sure that he is treated immediately!"

"Yes, sir," they said in unison, and carried away the now unconscious man. Han watched them retreat into the distance with tears in his eyes.

"Luke and Lando are my best friends," he said quietly. "They mean so much to me. I-I _can't_ lose Lando."

Leia wrapped Han into a hug. "I'll be okay. He has a strong spirit. He'll get better in no time. Meanwhile, we should get back to fighting before more people get injured, and before more people die! Luke is completely surrounded; he might need some help."

"Thanks for always being here for me, Leia." Han gave her a quick kiss. "You're right. Luke must be exhausted. I am NOT going to allow Luke to die!" He and Leia grabbed their blasters, and with determined looks, they rushed back onto the battlefield.

Anakin touched the pool, and the image dissolved. He looked at Padme. "We can't let them die. Someone has to help them."

 _ **That was Chapter 3! I hope you liked it! Again, sorry for the confusion! Please follow, favorite, and review!**_


	4. Part 4

Obi-Wan was still staring at the pool, deep in thought. "The apprentice must have gathered the remaining forces of the Imperial Army back together in order to destroy the Republic once and for all! How could he have done it so quickly?"

Mace Windu looked grave. "The Emperor must have more allies than we initially thought. Many of them were probably in hiding, just in case something happened to the other troops. He must have made allies with them shortly before he was killed, or else he would have told you. Since it was most likely later, he was probably too concerned with whether he would be able to turn Luke to tell Lord Vader. Luke was probably the center of his thoughts: getting a powerful new apprentice."

Yoda looked very grim. "Terrible, this is. A smart man the Emperor was. Thought very far ahead he did. More surprises in store for us, he probably has."

Anakin looked up at Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan with urgency. "What is the chance that the rebels could win the war against the Galactic Empire?"

"Very small, the chance is." Yoda looked sad. "Hard to say whether they really have much of a chance at all, it is. Your children may die, I'm afraid. A small hope they have, however. On the Emperor's side, you are not. Powerful you are. The Emperor is also dead. Cannot interfere in the war anymore, can he. Still, many more troops than the Rebels the Empire has. Some help they may need."

"We need to send some help." For the first time since they had seen the image in the Seeing Pool, Padme spoke. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but everyone immediately took it seriously. Her voice was strong and determined, but her eyes were filled with worry for her children.

"But how?" Mace Windu wondered. "When you are dead, there's not much that you can do." He gave a dark chuckle. "How are we going to send help? Especially enough so that the Republic can win?"

Yoda gave looked at Mace Windu and Obi-Wan. "A way there is... many people would not consider this help enough to ensure a victory for the Republic. But sure am I that this will be _exactly_ what the Rebels need." His gaze swept over to Anakin, and lingered on him for a moment.

"What is the way?" Obi-Wan asked. "How long will it take to send that help? The faster, the better."

"No time at all, it will take to send this help." Yoda answered.

Anakin jumped up. "What is your plan, Master Yoda? How can I be of service?"

"Of much service, you can be. I want to send _you_ , Anakin. Very powerful you are. Die you cannot. Indestructible will you be. No doubt can there be that you will be very helpful to the Republic. Very powerful they are, your son and daughter. But killed they can be. Killed you cannot be. If you wish it, Padme will go with you. A powerful asset, she is as well."

Anakin was stunned. So was everyone else. "You want me to go back to the human world? How will I get there?"

"There is a portal to the human world, in another garden on the other side of Headquarters. If you would like to go back to the human world to save the Rebellion and your children, then you may go whenever you would like. The sooner you leave, the better. You want to get there as soon as possible in order to have fewer people die." Obi-Wan explained. "If you decide to go, then tell us when you're ready to leave. We will escort you to the portal immediately." Obi-Wan and Mace Windu seemed like they had finally gotten past their surprise and realized that Yoda's plan was indeed a good one.

"Look the same as you do now in the human world, you will. Even as time passes, look the same you will too. Contact us you will be able to. Through the Seeing Pool we will watch you, and alert you we will to anything new. Obi-Wan will join you if need be."

Anakin was still stunned, but he gathered himself together and bowed to Yoda. "Thank you for having the trust to put the fate of the world on my shoulders. This is how I will make everything up to you, my masters. I will not fail you."

Padme drew close to Anakin and lay her head on his shoulder, while simultaneously he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "I will go as well. I want to help our children. This will definitely be more interesting than sitting here forever, and Anakin will need me to keep him out of trouble." She smirked, and Anakin laughed.

"We will leave tomorrow at dawn," Anakin decided. "Today, we will just enjoy ourselves while we can."

Mace Windu nodded. "Quite understandable."

Obi-Wan gave Anakin a smile. "I am so proud of you, Anakin. I am sure the Republic will triumph in no time with you on their side." Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I know how you might trick the Imperial forces..."

Anakin started, and looked questioningly at him. "How?"

"You're Darth Vader! Your voice is exactly the same! If you just put on a suit and a mask, everyone would think that you were Darth Vader! No one would suspect otherwise! The great Lord Vader would probably escape the Death Star alive, right? No one knows that you were injuired except the Emperor, who is dead, and Luke, who is on your side!"

Anakin's eyes gleamed. "The droids better start on a suit worthy of Darth Vader."

Padme laughed.

Anakin and Padme had spent the whole day relaxing in the forest. They talked about how Luke and Leia were doing, and more ideas on plan, "Trick the Imperial Forces Into Thinking That Darth Vader is Still Alive." For a long time the couple just held each other, looking up into the brilliant blue sky. They were savoring each and every moment with each other.

"They're so happy now." Obi-Wan said softly to Mace WIndu and Yoda. "Padme used to cry everyday for years because of what happened to Anakin. Now, it's like they can't stop smiling."

"It's definitely a change for the better." Mace Windu agreed. "I'm so glad that they have reunited."

Meanwhile, Anakin and Padme had reluctantly gotten up to go to dinner. They decided to go to a popular bar near the center of the city. Anakin called a speeder on his new walkie talkie, and they were standing in front of the doors in just a few minutes.

The inside of the bar was bustling with activity. People were laughing and smiling with happiness, and not a single being was feeling negatively at all. They were warmly and energetically welcomed by a servant girl, who led them to a spacious table. People were chatting all around them, and the place was warm but not stuffy. Anakin and Padme settled themselves onto comfy cushions and ordered their food. While they waited, neither spoke- they just stared into each others' eyes.

Padme blushed. His gaze was exactly like the one that he had always directed towards her so many years ago... when he was only nineteen years old. It was full of passionate love and admiration that used to make her uncomfortable, but now gave her a warm, tingly feeling all over, like she had just gulped down something hot after being out in the cold for so long.

Anakin looked admiringly at his beautiful wife. She truly was an angel- she was angelically gorgeous and amazingly kind, loving, caring, and forgiving no matter what. She was looking truly radiant at that moment, like she was the sun itself, giving light to all its surroundings. Her cheeks were aglow and her eyes were bright. And oh, how he adored that smile! He still couldn't believe that he was back with Padme, _his angel_. He kissed her passionately, and in that moment, everything was perfect.

After having an amazing dinner, Padme led Anakin to a grand apartment building whose walls were made of a special glass where you can see out, but no one can see in. They took an elevator up to the seventy-third floor, where a grand sweet awaited them. It consisted of a grand entryway, a huge and nicely furnished living room, a big kitchen which already had plates, bowls, pots, pans, silverware, and the like already inside, a spacious bedroom with comfy couches and a king bed inside, two bathrooms, and a balcony leading out from the bedroom.

"Wow!" Anakin said, amazed. "This is a wonderful place to live! Thank you for reserving it, Padme."

"Of course!" Padme said, happily. "I was glad to do it."

The couple settled into the soft bed, throwing the warm comforter over them. They fell asleep holding each other tightly, with Padme's head on Anakin's chest. Both were content, now that they knew that no one could ever separate them.

 _ **Thanks so much for reading! Please follow, favorite, and review!**_

 _ **~anakinpadmeforlife :)**_


	5. Part 5

Anakin woke, early in the morning, when the sun was just rising. It was still cool, but he was very warm underneath the thick comforter, especially with Padme snuggled up against him. He silently watched her sleep, smiling at angelic she looked. Her dark brown curls tumbled over her shoulders, and the corners of her mouth were turned up slightly in a peaceful smile. He watched her, wishing that he could stay in bed forever. But he had promised the Jedi that he would leave for the human world today, and their children needed help. What was more important, his wants or their needs? There was no question about it: they had to leave as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Padme began to stir. She sighed, still half asleep, and slowly opened her eyes. Blinking in the now bright light, she stared sleepily up at Anakin. She gave a cute yawn and slowly stretched.

"Good morning, Ani." She smiled up at Anakin. "How long have you been awake?"

"Quite a while." Anakin smirked. "I was _wondering_ why in the world you were still asleep." They laughed. "Though you _did_ look quite beautiful while you were sleeping. Just like an angel." He looked intently at her. " _My angel._ "

She blushed, and then sat up a little, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're here with me, Ani. I missed you so much."

He put his arms around her. "I missed you so much it hurt. You don't know how glad I was when I found out that you forgave me."

"I love you, Anakin."

"I love you so much, Padme."

Padme pulled back, rather unwillingly. "Oh! I forgot! We have to be at the portal at dawn, don't we? We're late!"

Anakin rubbed her back comfortingly. "It's ok, Padme. Obi-Won told me to contact him when we wanted to leave. He understood that we might want to sleep in a little, or spend a little more time with each other, when things are still peaceful."

Padme sighed, relieved. "That's so considerate of Obi-Won. He really cares about us." Anakin immediately agreed. "We should still leave pretty soon, though," she said. "We don't want more people to die because we delayed our trip to the human world."

She got out of the comfortable bed and walked across the marble floor, her bare feet making slapping noises on the smooth stone. When she opened the balcony doors, a cool breeze swept into the warm room. Anakin got out and walked over, standing behind Padme. They looked out at the beautiful view, the part to their left of rolling hills and towering trees, of fresh green grass, wildflowers, and a winding river, sparkling in the early sunlight. To their right, was the city, very different from the meadows and forests, but still quite beautiful. People were just starting to wake up, and a gorgeous sunrise of many colors was splayed across the wide expanse above them. Right on the horizon was a glowing ball of light, a warm yellow, just beginning to peek over at the still silent city, as if it was wishing everyone in it a good morning. Birds chirped merrily.

The couple looked out at the beautiful sight before them, basking in the early rays of the sun. Finally, Padme turned and headed back into their room.

"We should probably start packing now," she said. "We don't want to show up in the human world having nothing but the clothes on our bodies." Anakin laughed, and they set to work, each of them packing a duffel bag full of clothes, supplies like lanterns and ropes, food, water, blankets, and other necessities. Anakin was amazed to find that all of his favorite clothes, and a ton more, were stuffed into a big closet with his name on it. Robots brought the supplies and two gigantic money bags, stuffed to the brim.

After about twenty minutes, the couple was declared done with packing, and Anakin withdrew a comlink he had received from Obi-Wan. He pressed a button and said, "We are ready to leave, Master. We will be at the portal in fifteen minutes."

The comlink beeped, and Obi-Wan's name appeared on the tiny screen. Anakin pressed the comm button. "Very good, Anakin. I will pass on the message, and Master Windu, Master Yoda, and myself will meet you there."

Anakin quickly pocketed the comlink and grabbed his and Padme's duffel bag, slinging one over each shoulder.

"Oh, Anakin, you don't have to do that. I can carry it," Padme said, and tried to take the duffel bag from him.

Anakin lifted it out of her reach, giving her a teasing smile. "In fact, I do have to, Senator Amidala. It is my job." Padme laughed, and he joined in, as she grabbed his arm, trying to reach it.

Finally, she gave up, panting with effort and laughing at the same time. "Alright, if you must, Jedi Skywalker," she teased, walking out of the apartment with her husband at her heels.

They took Anakin's speeder to the Jedi Headquarters, and were immediately let in. In front of them were all three Jedi Masters, just as Obi-Wan had said. They quickly exchanged warm greetings, and then set off along a different corridor than the one that led to the Seeing Pool. In no time, they were standing in another beautiful garden, nearly identical to the one that held the Seeing Pool. In the center of the fragrant plants was a pool, over which swirled a thick blanket of mist. The trees were covered with dew, and a cloak of mist hung over them, making the whole place look magical.

Anakin stopped and stared in wonder at the place. "The portal to the human world, this is," said Yoda, quietly. "Leave whenever you want, you may. Into the pool, you must jump. To a forest in Naboo, the portal will bring you. Coruscant, the Rebels are now upon. Journey you must to Coruscant. After your mission is complete, spend one free day with your family, you may."

Mace Windu stepped forward. "After you are done with your mission and that one day, you can radio Master Kenobi. Your comlink will still work in the human world. However, only you and Padme can use it. It will automatically return to your pocket should you ever lose it. Then, return to the forest in Naboo from which you arrived. Use the Force, Anakin, and you will know at exactly which spot the portal is located. Obi-Wan will bring you back. I have here the Darth Vader suit that our expert droids made. It looks exactly the same, does it not?" He smirked and withdrew it from a sack. Anakin gave a brief nod. "It should fool the apprentice and his army. I trust you do not want to put it on when you don't have to; I suggest that you put it on later when you need to." Anakin gave another nod. Mace Windu paused for a moment and handed the suit to Anakin, who put it carefully inside his duffel bag. "You will be able to be killed, of course. You will be able to be injured as well. However, you will always be able to come back, so it is _as if_ you cannot be killed. Still, I am sure that you would rather avoid the pain of dying." He smiled. "If you give up, or would just like to return here, radio Master Kenobi. However, I believe that you would not return without a victory, Anakin."

Anakin bowed. "Indeed, Master."

"Very good, Anakin," Obi-Wan said warmly. "I will contact you if we get any more information about this _apprentice_ of Sidious's. You can contact me any time."

"Thank you, Master. I promise that I will make you very proud. I will avenge all of those whom I have killed."

Anakin and Padme stepped towards the pool, both with determined looks on their faces. Padme was wearing an outfit just like she had for the battle of Geonosis, and Anakin was wearing Jedi robes. They were ready to fight, to protect the Republic and their children.

"Anakin. Padme." The couple looked back to Yoda. "May the force be with you always."

"Thank you, Master Yoda."

They jumped into the portal. Everything went black. And then they were lying upon the fresh green grass of a huge forest.

 _ **I hope you guys enjoyed Part 6! Thank you all so much for reading! Thanks for the support! Please follow, favorite, and review!**_

 _ **Thanks especially to SilverMidnightDesires!**_

 _ **~anakinpadmeforlife :)**_


	6. Part 6

Anakin and Padme slowly sat up, both a little winded. Standing up and brushing themselves off, they surveyed their surroundings. This forest happened to look a lot like the one that Anakin had appeared in after his death. The grass was fresh, green, and very long and thick. Trees towered above them, and the sun washed over them with its warm golden light. Wildflowers popped up from the rich soil in every color of the rainbow. A brook wound through the trees, whistling merrily. Birds chirped happily, and squirrels and other such creatures scampered about, collecting nuts and going about their day jobs.

Anakin glanced at Padme, who seemed to be deep in thought. They were silent for a minute, until Padme's eyes lit up.

"I know where we are!" She exclaimed. "We are in the forest beside the royal palace. I used to come here all the time. It shouldn't take very long to get to a space shuttle."

Anakin closed his eyes for a long second. After a moment, he opened them.

"This way," he said quietly, and set off, with Padme right behind him. After about twenty minutes, they reached the edge of the forest, where the royal palace stood. This time, Padme took the lead, as the former queen of Naboo knew her way around the city.

Anakin bought a space shuttle(for they had _a lot_ of money in their bags, perhaps an endless supply), and they took off, heading for Coruscant. The pair sat quietly next to each other, thinking about their next moves.

"I know the code for the commander's comlink," Anakin said, deep in thought. "I could contact him, tell him that I survived, and that I'm coming to meet him. He will immediately tell me where they are located, I am sure of it. They are all terrified of me." Anakin smirked.

Padme nodded. "That seems like a good plan. I will stay in Coruscant, and find Luke and Leia. I will help the Rebel Alliance, and get a comlink so that I can contact you when I figure out what the Republic's next moves are. Then, you can arrange the Imperial troops accordingly. Make sure that you act the part of Darth Vader, Anakin. It will be terrible for us if you are revealed."

"I know, I know." Anakin rolled his eyes teasingly. "You're starting to sound a lot like Obi-Wan, Senator Amidala. I know what to do. I can handle this."

Padme laughed. "Well, I had to make sure. You never know, Anakin. That's why I came. To keep you out of trouble." She laughed.

"So, I guess I have to put the stupid suit on?" Anakin sighed loudly. "No one has every realized how hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable that suit is. Everyone just assumes I love it."

Padme giggled and leaned into her husband. "Well, you did look pretty scary in the suit, _Lord Vader._ Everyone assumed that you were evil, and that you liked frightening and killing people. You do frighten people in that suit."

Anakin sighed dramatically again. "Fine, I'll put it on now." He trudged reluctantly over to his duffel bag, and retrieved the black suit. Pulling it out, he tugged it on, piece by piece, grumbling all the while.

Finally, he finished, and turned around for Padme to see. She gasped in surprise.

"Anakin! Oh my gosh! It looks so real!" She exclaimed. Then, she shivered a little. "Good thing it's you in there, Ani, or else I would be _really_ scared."

A chuckle came out from under the black mask. "How about my voice? Does it sound like it used to, when I was Vader?"

Padme nodded. "Quite. Except a _little_ more kind."

Anakin laughed. "Okay, let me try this." He cleared his throat and stood up to his full height. "You underestimate the power of the Dark Side!"

Padme started, and then teasingly hid her face and scooted backwards in her seat. "Okay, now that was definitely scary. You don't need to prove your acting skills to me any more, Ani, I got it!"

Anakin took off his mask and revealed his dark blonde curls again. "I'm going to take it off. I'll meet my children, _and then_ put on this damned suit. I hate it! It brings back too many terrible memories."

He buried his face in his hands. "I killed so many people, Padme! I slaughtered them like animals! I gave them no mercy. None! So many people are dead because of me! So many families mourned dead ones they loved- all because of me! Oh, Padme..."

Padme rose and put her arms around Anakin. Her warmth was comforting to Anakin's cold body. "Ani, look at me. Please."

He raised his head slowly, looking at her with teary eyes.

"I will admit that you did many terrible things. But you came back to us in the end. You saved Luke, and the Rebel Alliance. All is forgiven, Ani. Forget the past, and continue doing good. Relieving the horrifying memories of the past won't do you any good- it will only destroy you. Just promise me that you will never turn to the Dark Side again. I don't want to lose you."

"Of course, Padme, I promise." Anakin wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I love you, my angel," he murmured softly. "More than anything in the world."

She tightened her grip on him. "I love you too, Anakin."

A few minutes later, they arrived in Coruscant, and set down on the planet's main landing location. When they got off the space shuttle, people stared at them, as if they knew who they were, they just couldn't remember. Anakin had taken off the black suit and mask. He now wore dark robes, and a hood over his face. He and Padme both grabbed their stuff and headed over to the newly built Jedi Temple, where they had guessed that the remaining Rebels had gathered, planning their next moves. The Jedi Temple seemed empty and deserted, but Anakin sensed that hundreds, thousands of people were inside.

He strode confidently up to the guard standing in front of the entrance. "I need to see Princess Leia and Jedi Luke Skywalker," he said firmly.

"I am sorry, sir, but they are not here. The temple is currently empty.

Anakin gritted his teeth and leaned in. "I'm not a fool. The rebel survivors of the attack are inside."

The guard trembled. "I-I-I-I don't know what you are talking about, sir."

" _I need to see Luke and Leia Skywalker right now_." Anakin repeated in a deadly voice. "Search us, do whatever you want, but you _must_ take us to see them. If you do not, then you will face my wrath."

The guard shook. "W-W-W-Who should I say wants to see them?"

"Tell them that two people close to them have arrived, and need to see them."

The guard withdrew his comlink, and glancing nervously at Anakin, with sweat gathering on his forehead, said in a shaky voice: "T-Two people are d-demanding to see the princess and Jedi Luke Skywalker. Th-they say that they are close to the Jedi and the princess. P-Please arrange for them to see them; things are not looking good for me."

After hearing the news, Princess Leia Skywalker glanced at her brother Luke. She could see that he was worried as well. What did these people want? What would happen if they refused? After some thought, she spoke to the completely silent room.

"My brother and I will go see these strangers. I fear that if we refuse, terrible things will be in store for us. It will be safer for us to go. However, we should take a few guards, just in case the intentions of these two are dishonorable."

Everyone in the room nodded, agreeing. Five rebels stood up, holding their blasters tightly. "We will accompany you and Master Skywalker," they said, determination written clearly across their faces.

"Thank you," Leia said. She and her brother rose. "Please radio the guard, and tell him that we are coming. Wait here, and come quickly if you sense anything wrong."

Everyone nodded again as Luke and Leia left the room.

Anakin and Padme stood silently, awaiting an answer, while the guard twitched nervously. Finally his comlink beeped. "Princess Leia and Master Skywalker are coming."

The guard gave an audible sigh of relief, as Anakin and Padme glanced at each other in anticipation.

After a few minutes, the doors slid open, revealing their children and 5 guards. Anakin winced when he thought about the last time he had seen Leia, as Vader. She was even more beautiful than before. He dark curls were wound around her head, she wore battle clothes, and her face was set with determination. Luke looked the same; the splitting image of his father. His blond hair was cropped neatly, and his blue eyes shone with courage. Padme was speechless at the sight of her children. A tear slipped from her eye.

Anakin slowly drew back his hood, revealing his dark blonde locks and blue eyes. Recovering herself, Padme did the same.

Luke started, and then stared at them in amazement. He was completely silent. Leia looked at him, confused. "What is it, Luke?"

"Dad?" Luke stepped forward, looked shocked. "Mom?"

 _ **Thanks for reading! Love you all! Follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!**_


	7. Part 7

Leia looked, astonished, from Luke, to Anakin, to Padme, and then back again to Luke. "W-W-What? Luke? What are you talking about? How could these people be our parents? They are both dead! People can't come back to life! Besides, how would you know?" Luke, Anakin and Padme stayed silent, the former gazing at the others in disbelief. Leia grabbed Luke by the shoulder.

"Luke! Wake up! What is going on?" When Luke didn't answer, Leia grew frustrated. "Luke! Who are these people?"

Luke finally seemed to realize what was going on. "Oh! Ummmm..., Leia, this is Mom and Dad."

Leia looked, completely flabbergasted, at Anakin and Padme. "How do you know?" She asked quietly. "How is this possible?"

Luke turned to Leia. "I just know," he said simply. "I can feel it through the Force. Also, I told you, the Force is strong with my father. The Force is very strong with this being. Besides, Leia, even if I didn't have the Force to help me, I can tell. He looks like me, and you look quite similar to this woman. Don't you feel like these are our parents?"

Speechless, Leia gazed at her parents. "Yes," she said faintly. "I-I see what you mean. You are right, Luke. These are our parents."

Padme stepped forward and embraced the startled girl, holding her tightly. Leia returned the affection, and a few small tears leaked from her eyes. Anakin and Luke followed suit.

"B-But how?" Leia whispered. "How is this possible? Didn't you both die? Why do you look so... young?"

Anakin laughed, the sound breaking through the silence. "We came into the human world through a portal that Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan directed us to. They want us to save the Republic from the Empire. Sidious's new apprentice is gathering more allies for another attack on the Rebel Alliance. I know much about the Empire's ways, and everyone there fears me." At this, Anakin smirked. "Therefore, I will contact the commander of the clone forces and get him to tell me where the Empire's new base is. I know he will tell me; he lives in fear of Lord Vader. No one will suspect that Padme and I have come back to life- it is expected that someone as powerful as Darth Vader would survive the explosion of the Death Star. No one besides the Emperor, who is dead, knows that I have switched sides. I will go dressed as Darth Vader, and eventually sabotage the apprentice and his army. Padme and I technically can't die, and as a more powerful version of Vader, we will unstoppable. However, if needed, Obi-Wan will join us."

Luke and Leia looked like they were still trying to wrap their heads around the fact that there parents were alive in front of them. The guards who had accompanied them, plus the one who had been there all along, guarding the Jedi Temple, were all looking very interested. Hope had settled onto the faces of everyone present.

"So it's true? You _were_ Darth Vader, like Luke said?"

Anakin lowered his head shamefully. "Yes. I-I regret to say that I harmed _many_ innocent people."

Leia gave a strangled half laugh. "You almost killed me! You blew up Alderaan! You tried to kill Luke several times!"

Anakin flushed. "Unfortunately, I am guilty of all those things." Padme put an arm around him.

"Soooooo... you say that you're here to help us?" Leia asked, a little suspiciously.

"Yes. As I said before, Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan sent me. It was Master Yoda's idea."

" _The Mace Windu?_ One of the most powerful Jedi Masters ever?" Luke said in amazement. "That's so cool!"

Leia impatiently interrupted Luke. "Can I see the Darth Vader suit?"

"Of course." Anakin unzipped his duffel bag and pulled out the black suit and mask. He handed both to Leia, who inspected it in wonder.

"Who made it?" She asked curiously.

"The droids in the Force. They can do almost everything- they are quite amazing. Dressing up in the suit was Obi-Wan's idea."

"No wonder." Luke nodded appreciatively. "Obi-Wan is very wise. He is very powerful in the Force as well. To bad that he's dead." He looked pointedly at Anakin, who flushed again. "So, why do you and Mom look so young?"

Padme spoke for the first time. He voice was sweet, kind, and lovely as usual. "In the Force, you assume a form, and you look like that forever. No matter how long your father and I stay in the human world, we will still look the same. I believe your father looks about 22, because that was his age before he joined the Dark Side of the Force."

"After we complete the mission to rescue the Republic, we can only stay one full day, and then we must join Master Yoda, Master Windu, and Master Obi-Wan once more," Anakin said regretfully. "If we need to contact Obi-Wan at all, I have the means." He held up the comlink.

The guard whom had been there the whole time finally seemed to recover from the shock. "So that's why you scared the heck out of me so easily! You're Darth Vader!" He was shrinking back, as if he hoped to blend into the wall behind him.

Anakin smiled apologetically, but inside all of the Skywalkers were inwardly laughing. "I'm sorry about that, but I was aware that I did look and seem very suspicious. I knew that you probably wouldn't grant me an audience with my children unless I threatened you. If I had told you the truth, you would have quite certainly thought that I was lying. Unfortunately, aggression was the best course of action."

The guard continued to shrink back, shooting Anakin terrified glances. Anakin quickly hid an amused expression.

"We should probably go up and explain the situation to everyone else. It will probably take time, and we need to get a move on as soon as possible," said Leia.

"Leia is right," Padme said, with an affectionate look at her daughter. She smiled proudly; it seemed that Leia had inherited her leadership skills.

Anakin and Luke immediately agreed, and all four of them headed up, surrounded by the five guards that had originally come with Luke and Leia. When they entered the room, all the rebels in the room looked up at the newcomers suspiciously. However, they were immediately excepted, for everyone trusted the judgement of Luke and Leia Skywalker.

The twins walked to the center of the room with their parents behind him, while the five men took their seats.

Whispers arose from the huge crowd of people, but when Leia stood to face them, the noise abruptly ceased. She cleared her throat.

"A miracle has occurred, just recently. My-My mother and father are here with us." She gestured to them. "Everyone: Anakin and Padme Skywalker."

Everyone looked around at each other, stunned. The silence was unnerving.

"They... recently came back from the Force, by the will of Jedi Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are here to save us from the ever growing forces of the Galactic Empire. As you all know, the Emperor's newest apprentice has begun to gather together the remainders of the clone army, as well as recruiting many more allies. I am afraid that he has gained many powerful ones. He is also rebuilding the clone army."

The rebels looked at one another fearfully.

"He is called Darth Maul, after the first one. Known for his ruthlessness, cruelty, and power, he will stop at nothing to defeat the Republic and bring the Sith back into power. However," she continued, "we do have some hope. First of all, my father and mother technically cannot die. If they are killed, the Jedi Masters will just let them back into the human world, as they have control over the portal. Secondly, my father is _very_ powerful. In his days, he was known as 'The Chosen One' and 'The Here With No Fear.' He is one of the most powerful Jedi to ever have existed. He will be a great asset to us. I am sure that it won't be too hard for my father to defeat Darth Maul. My mother, too, will be a great help. She is very good with a blaster."

"Not unlike you!" Han Solo called out from the front row. "You are very good with a blaster too, princess."

Leia turned pink, but quickly regained her focus. "There is another reason why my father will be such a tremendous help. You see," she took a deep breath, bracing herself: "Anakin Skywalker _is_ Darth Vader."

 _ **Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this so far! There's a really creepy plot twist around parts 8 and 9 that all of my readers loved! Can't wait until you all get to it!**_


	8. Part 8

The room fell silent, tension in the air.

Then it erupted into chaos.

Rebels jumped to their feet, looks of terror on their faces. Staggering backwards, they stumbled over their own feet in an effort to get away from the feared Sith Lord. They clutched their blasters tightly. Woman clutched their children, and quite a few of them screamed.

"He's your _father?!"_

 _"Are you serious?!"_

"He-He- _He is Darth Vader?"_

" _Is this a joke?"_

"Are you _kidding me_?"

"Darth Vader would not hesitate to kill _every single person_ in this room!" screeched a woman.

"How could he be Darth Vader?!"

"He is going to kill us all! I'm too young to die!"

Leia stepped in front of Anakin protectively. "He did used to be evil, but he turned in the end. He saved Luke and killed the Emperor! I deem him trustworthy. Besides, if he couldn't be trusted, then why would the famed Jedi Masters accept him, and send him here to save us? I trust Master Yoda and Master Obi-Wan. Anyway, if my father is still evil, why didn't he kill Luke and I when we went down to see him with only a few guards? He is very powerful. He could probably have killed us all!"

Slowly, the rebels eyed one another. The relief on their faces was clear. Deciding that they fully trusted the princess, they sat down. However, some of them still looked at Anakin suspiciously.

Leia cleared her throat. "Anyway, some droids made my father an exact replica of his Darth Vader mask and life support suit, except this one is merely a suit of armor. Since his voice sounds the same, he will easily pass for Lord Vader. He will be a great help to us."

Rebels nodded, agreeing with Princess Leia. She turned to Anakin, who had been silent the entire time. "Can you show them the suit?"

"Of course," Anakin replied. He strode over to his duffel bag(the rebels nearby shrunk away from his menacing figure), and retrieved the black suit and mask, which he held up. "For now, it is just me and Senator Amidala here. However, if needed, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi will join us. I have the means to contact him. After I spend some time with my family, we come up with a detailed plan, and I construct a new Iight saber, will contact the commander of the storm troopers. He will immediately tell me where the Imperial forces are located, I am sure of it." At this, he smirked. "I will then join them, and pretend to help them. Really, I will be passing along information to my wife, and when it is time, I will sabotage the Imperial forces and destroy Sidious's new apprentice." He tucked the suit back into his bag.

The rebels could all see that even though Vader might have changed sides, he was still very imposing. At a height of over six feet, and with a black cloak billowing around him, almost all the rebels were still scared out of their minds.

Han was the only one besides Luke and Leia who was brave enough to speak. "Well, Mr. Vader, what are we going to do while you do all this? Sit around on the couch and sleep?"

"You will attack the Imperial troops, once you know where they are situated." Anakin said, matter of factly. "If you attack randomly, without inside information, it will do you more bad than good. You will lose more troops that way, and your element of surprise. Do you think attacking without my help will be a good idea?"

Everyone shifted uncomfortably in their seats, hoping than Han wouldn't defy the former Lord Vader. They all knew that arguing with him would not help Han in the least. It was probably one of the worst things he could do.

Han didn't argue, to everyone's relief. They couldn't lose a good fighter like Han Solo. "You're right, Lord Vader. I will sit here quietly until you deliver the information." He smirked, but did the smart thing and said no more. This man, _Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia's father,_ had frozen him into carbonite without a blink of an eye. He had murdered countless people, completely destroyed Alderaan, and sold him off to Jaba the Hutt without a second thought. He realized that no matter how young this man looked, it would probably not be smart to cross him.

Leia visibly relaxed. "Okay, so that's settled. Now, let's continue on with our meeting. We have estimated that about half of our troops were destroyed in that surprise attack a couple days ago. One-fifth of them were injured, and are still in the hospital, in the care of our best doctors. If a loved one is among the injured, be assured that they are being well cared for." She paused, and a look of sadness came over her face. "Unfortunately, General Lando Calrissian is still badly injured after being shot by that storm trooper. He will not be able to fight for at least another few months. She swallowed. "Let us just hope that the Force is in his favor."

The crowd grew grave at their princess's terrible news. General Calrissian was highly respected among the rebels, as he had done a very good job leading the fighter pilots against the Death Star. No one wanted him to die.

"Now, we have good news. Chewbacca has convinced the Wookiees to help us. This will be a great asset, as they are quite powerful. Still, our greatest hope lies in Anakin Skywalker." She turned to her father, who was still standing behind her, silent. "Father, you may go now and construct your new lightsaber." Anakin strode out of the room. "Meanwhile, this meeting is dismissed. Be careful, be on alert, and don't act suspicious. To be safe, do not do anything rash. There will be a meeting here, tomorrow at dawn, to go over the plan."

Everyone nodded, and began to exit the room, pulling up hoods over their faces. Leia turned to Padme and Luke. "I hope that this plan works."

"So? What is the reason that you required an audience with me? I will remind you that I am very powerful, and have no time for anything that will not benefit me greatly," drawled a icy, masculine voice, which emanated from a tall figure shrouded in a dark cloak, a hood over his features.

The figure in front of him, also in a black cloak bowed. "I have service that might be of great use to you, my Lord. I greatly wish the Senator to be my own, but this is not possible at the moment. She is in love with," he spat on the ground, "Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker. They are married, and he is constantly by her side, protecting her. I cannot take the Senator to be my own until _he_ is out of the picture. I hear that it would, ahem, benefit you as well if he were to be terminated."

The towering figure above him laced his long fingers together, considering his words. "That is true. So? What is your plan? I don't have much time."

The eyes of the kneeling man gleamed. "I have just come from the Force. I sneaked in through the portal, while most of the city was asleep. This means that technically, I cannot die."

"Well, well. Now _this_ might be more worth my time."

He rubbed his hands together excitingly. "The Jedi Master and the Senator both died, did they not? The Jedi, some time in the Clone Wars, and the Senator, in childbirth?"

The tall figure looked very interested now. "Why, yes, they did."

"They must have come through the portal as well. But what for? To help the Rebellion? Remember, during their lifetime, they both supported the Republic. If they have come here to help the rebels, they must be stopped _immediately_. They both cannot die, either. They will be a very great threat, especially the Jedi Master. He was called 'The Chosen One' and 'The Hero With No Fear,' was he not?"

"Yes." The voice was so cold now that the room temperature seemed to lower about twenty degrees. "So, what are you saying?"

"Since I cannot die, and both the Senator and the Jedi are not aware of my presence, _I_ shall try to eliminate them. I am a rich man. I have the tools. Here is the deal. I will terminate the Jedi Master, and in turn, you will help me capture and break the spirit of the Senator. She will need persuasion to comply with my wishes, I am sure."

The towering figure stood still, contemplating his deal. Finally, he nodded. "Very well. I will submit to the plan. However, know that whatever happens to you when you are trying to kill Skywalker is none of my concern. If you are captured, I will not bargain for your release. If you are killed, then that is not my problem. If you are accused, then the blame is all on you. I will flatly deny everything, and no one will question me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"I do not want any disturbances, either. You will not contact me for _anything else_ besides Skywalker's death. I don't have time for your petty excuses. Should you try to contact me, I will not answer you. I don't care how you get there- just kill him. Understood?"

The man rose, and gave a short bow. "Yes, my Lord. Thank you, my Lord. I will contact you when Skywalker is dead. The Senator will soon be _mine._ "

 _ **The plot twist is here! Hope you guys enjoyed Part 8! Follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!**_


	9. Part 9

***An hour after the meeting***

Anakin stormed into the apartment that Leia had assigned him and Padme. Frustration was radiating off him in waves.

"What's wrong, Ani?" Padme asked. "Are you alright?"

Anakin fell back on the couch, annoyance written all over his face. "I just constructed my new light saber."

"And?"

"I really want to use it on all those reporters surrounding Luke and Leia. They are attracting too much attention, and annoying the heck out of me and my children!"

Padme's laughter sounded like bells. "Oh, Ani. You had me worried for a second." She looked through the glass , to the outside of the huge apartment complex. Sure enough, down on the ground, reporters from the Holonet were swarming all around Luke, who was looking annoyed, and Leia, who looked like she wanted to throw something. Han stood behind the princess, his trademark smirk on his face. Leia didn't seem to be amused, and shot him a glare. Padme could hear the commotion, even all the way from the top of the building. The scene was actually quite funny. She hadn't been down there, however. And she didn't plan on going. She hated the annoying press and their annoying reporters.

"I'm serious! Luke and Leia were begging me for help through their eyes! Those bothersome reporters were all up in their faces, even though they kept telling them to go away!" He groaned. "They're like a pack of animals! I'm going to go deal with them."

Padme smirked. "What are you going to do?"

"Give them a warning."

"And then? Run them through with that light saber of yours for 'annoying the heck' out of you and your children?"

"Maybe."

"Anakin!"

"Fine! Only if necessary." He stood. "I'm going to go deal with them now."

"Leave your light saber here."

Anakin sighed. Then, he unclipped his new light saber from his belt and handed it too her.

"No Force choking either." She smirked.

Anakin ran out the door.

After Anakin had "very sternly warned the reporters to leave," by which he meant he threatened them quite thoroughly, the family went together to the marketplace. Everyone either bowed when they passed, or kept their distance, as the news had spread over Coruscant(before Anakin had stopped it), that Anakin Skywalker had formerly been Darth Vader. Luckily, he had put an end to the spread of those rumors, as that information in the hands of the Empire would most certainly ruin their plan. No one had known of Anakin's true identity besides the Emperor, who was now dead. Anakin intended to keep it that way.

Padme inhaled, long and slow. "Mmmhhhhhh. Something smells good. I'm so hungry."

"Agreed," Leia said. "After all those reporters, and the surprise of this morning, I'm famished."

Anakin withdrew a pile of credits. "We can eat whatever we want."

After a hearty meal, the twins returned to the Jedi Temple to talk to some Rebel leaders, and Anakin and Padme were left at the marketplace to enjoy themselves. Padme noticed a bystander selling some of Naboo's specialty blossom wine. The man was wearing a dark cloak, and his features were not visible under the dark hood. However, she didn't notice anything about the bystander. Naboo's blossom wine was her favorite, and it reminded her of the good times she had had with Anakin on Naboo, when he was her Jedi protector.

"Ani." She tugged on his sleeve, and he immediately turned towards her, a questioning look on his face.

"Yes?"

"Can we get some of that blossom wine from Naboo?"

Anakin pulled another pile of credits from his cloak. "Of course."

"Thank you."

He smiled at her. "Anything for my angel."

He kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around him, not noticing the dark and angry look on the face of the mysterious bystander.

Anakin strode over to him, with Padme trailing him. "My wife would like some of your wine. Where is it from?"

The man's eyes skimmed over Padme, resting a second too long on her face. "Naboo."

Anakin handed over a stack of credits. "We'll take a bottle."

The man took the money, barely noticing how much it was. His eyes were on Padme again.

"Keep your filthy gaze off my wife," Anakin spat, protectively putting an arm around her. He didn't see the murderous glare the man sent him from under the dark hood.

The man took a bottle from the shelf behind him and opened it. "You should try it, before you give it to your wife," he drawled. "You aim to please her, do you not? If the wine is not satisfactory, you may have your money back."

Anakin looked calculatingly at the man, who was a few inches shorter than him. He could sense that the man hated him, wanted him dead, and wanted his wife. He thought for a moment.

"Give me that!" cried a children's shrill voice, full of laughter. She zipped through the marketplace, and slammed into Anakin. He stumbled, and dropped the bottle of wine. The glass smashed, and the liquid spread over the pavement. There was a hissing sound, as the liquid eroded away the stone before their very eyes. The marketplace grew silent. The wine had been poisoned.

Anakin turned so quickly the people around him flinched. His light saber hummed to life, only to find that the man was gone. A murderous look came into Anakin's eyes. He put away his light saber and grabbed Padme's arm. A path cleared before him, leading towards the 500 Republica apartment complex, where they had come from. Anakin gave everyone in the marketplace a warning look, and they all shrunk back. "If you find that man, you kill him. If any of you ever attempt to hurt me, my wife, or my children, you will pay dearly. I hope I am understood."

He marched Padme out of the marketplace, while everyone gave each other fearful looks, knowing that the former Lord Vader meant what he said. Anakin, however, didn't notice any of this. He was intent on getting Padme home, safe.

Anakin paced the living room of the apartment, fuming. "I sensed that he wanted to kill me! I sensed that he wanted you! I should have known that he would try to poison me!"

Padme rose from the lounge and put a hand on her husband's arm. "Anakin. It's not your fault."

Anakin turned to her. "He could have hurt you, too! This is totally my fault!"

"I'm safe, Anakin. Nothing has happened to us."

"What if you or the children get hurt?"

"We'll be fine, Ani. Luke and Leia can fend for themselves, and I'll be right here with you all day. I'm always safe when I'm with you."

"Yes, but tomorrow I'll leave for the Imperial base! Who will protect you then? The man will surely come after you and try to take you again, especially since I will not be there."

Padme embraced him, holding him tightly. "I'll be fine. I'll stay with Luke and Leia, okay? And I'll give you regular updates on our welfare."

"Fine, but while I'm here, you are staying with me. I will not take any chances. You're staying in this apartment for the rest of today, and when I leave, you must either stay with Luke and Leia, or be surrounded by rebels. Be very careful."

"I will. Don't worry about me, okay, Anakin? I'll be fine." She paused. "Please be careful as well. Don't forget that today, he tried to kill you, not me."

Anakin kissed the top of her head. "Of course, angel. I promise. Now, I'll go order some dinner." He turned to go make the call, when suddenly, he stopped. "One other thing, Padme."

"Yes?"

Anakin took a deep breath. "Do you know that guy? Did you recognize anything about him?"

Padme grew silent. "For some reason, his voice sounded... kind of familiar."

The droid ambled along, pushing a cart full of all kinds of food. A delicious aroma wafted out from the huge array of dishes. The droid had just entered the 500 Republica apartment complex, when a figure clothed in black robes, with a hood over his face, jumped out of the shadows. Before the droid could even register what was happening, the man had smashed it. He gathered the pieces of the droid into a burlap sack, and quickly threw it into a trash dump. Taking a look around him, as if he was making sure that no one was watching him, he withdrew a small bottle from his cloak. It was filled with a green liquid. He took another look around him, and then uncorked the bottle and dumped its contents into a bowl of steaming vegetable soup. He stirred it with an extra spoon, and the liquid swiftly blended in with the soup. The man shoved the spoon into his pocket. Drawing his hood back the slightest bit, so that his features were partly visible when up close, he settled in front of the entrance to the building.

A pretty young girl, wearing a lot of makeup, came walking by. The figure in black strutted forward, towards her.

"Hey there, gorgeous," he said sultrily.

She blushed a bright red, as she saw that he was quite good-looking. "Hello, handsome."

"Would you mind doing a favor for me, and deliver this cart to the apartment of Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padme Amidala? You seem like a nice girl, as well as a beautiful one." He winked at her.

She blushed again. "Sure! Of course! I wouldn't mind!"

"Thanks, Miss Gorgeous. Here's a bit for your troubles." He pressed a stack of credits into her hand. She gasped when she saw how much money it was. "Just tell Mr. Skywalker to try the vegetable soup. He's a good friend of mine, and I'm sure that he would like it. Oh, and another thing. Don't mention that you saw me. Understood?"

She nodded frantically. She needed the money.

He gave her a long kiss. When he pulled away, she was wide eyed, and nearly hyperventilating. "See you later, gorgeous." Then he walked away, leaving her by the cart of food.

 **I hope you enjoyed part 9 of my story! Favorites, follows, and reviews are very much appreciated! Thanks for reading!**


	10. Part 10

The girl knocked nervously on the elaborately carved door. She was at the top floor of the 500 Republica apartment complex.

"Um, your dinner, sir!" she called, shifting from foot to foot, clasping her hands.

The door opened. Behind it was a young man _even more handsome_ than the one she had just met. He was in Jedi robes, with a light saber clipped to his belt. She seemed to remember that he was very famous for the amazing deeds he had done. He had saved the galaxy countless times! Oh dear, she did fall hard for the heroes. And those beautiful blue eyes... and the dark blonde locks that she wanted to run her fingers through...

She snapped back to reality when a gorgeous young woman stepped on front behind him. She was very slender, with a form that the girl felt she would die for! She had lucious, chocolate brown curls, pale skin, rosy cheeks, and bright, beautiful eyes. The girl suddenly felt so jealous that she wanted to vomit. However, she continued to play her role, knowing that if she couldn't have _this_ young man(for he was very obviously taken), she better take the other one. Scowling at the other young woman, she said, "Are you Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala? I have your dinner."

Padme smiled warmly at the other girl. "Thank you! Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?"

The girl shrugged. "Sure."

She followed Anakin and Parme into the grand apartment. The windows were all open, and a light breeze drifted in. Birds chirped in the air. While Padme prepared a cup tea, the girl, still staring at Anakin, began to deliver her message.

"You should try the vegetable soup first, sir. The restaurant recommends it, as it it one of the specials. The cooks made it extra good just for you."

Anakin smiled at the girl. "That was very kind of them. Of course I'll try it." He uncovered the vegetable soup and placed it on the counter, before going around the island and getting a spoon. He blew on the still steaming soup, and dipped the spoon in, ready to eat, when suddenly a bird flew in through the window. It was a pigeon, and a very thin one. It looked like it hadn't eaten for days. Squawking, it flew over and snatched up a piece of vegetable from the bowl. It gobbled it up hungrily, and reached for more, when suddenly, its whole body convulsed. It began to jerk violently, thrashing about from side to side. Finally, after a few moments, it fell into the soup, dead.

The whole room was silent. Padme looked, horrified, at Anakin, who had a stricken look on his face. The girl suddenly seemed to realize what was going on. Terrified, she raced from the room, through the open door. Anakin wasted no time. His spoon clattering to the floor, he followed in hot pursuit. The girl ran as fast as she could, but she was no match for Anakin. He caught up to her fairly quickly, and using the Force, lifted her from the ground. He clenched his fist, slowing starting to choke her. She struggled, kicking her legs and straining at her invisible opponent.

"Why did you try to poison me?" Anakin's voice was deadly calm, but held barely controlled fury. "Who do you work for?"

When the girl, gasping for breath, and too scared to speak a word, did not answer, he shook her roughly. "Answer me!"

"I-I-I-I m-meant n-n-no harm, sir! I-I-I s-s-swear that I didn't know it was p-p-poisoned! A-a-a young man j-just asked me if I w-w-would do him a favor, and he, he had money! My family is,- is very poor, sir! I c-c-couldn't refuse! He g-gave me a whole bag of g-gold!"

"What did he ask you to do? What were his exact words? Keep in mind that I can sense if you are lying," Anakin said menacingly.

H-h-he asked me to take t-t-the cart to the apart-partment of Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Senator P-Padme Amidala. He-he said that he was a g-good friend of yours, and that he th-th-thought that you m-m-might like the vegetable soup! He told me to r-r-recommend it to you! Then he t-told me to not mention t-that I saw him!" The girl stuttered nervously, knowing that her life depended on every word that she said.

Anakin frowned, deep in thought. "I can sense that you are telling the truth."

The girl sagged in relief. Anakin let her go, and she dropped to the ground, still gasping for breath. He held out a hand to help her up, and she reluctantly took it. Anakin looked at her steadily. "What did the man look like?"

The girl, still shaking nervously, stammered, "I-I'm sorry, sir. I didn't really get a good look at him. I-I do know that he had dark hair, and a handsome face. He was a couple inches shorter than you. I-I'm really sorry. I don't know anything else beside that."

After staring searchingly into her eyes, Anakin nodded briefly. "Yes. That description fits the one we encountered earlier today."

"What?"

"Don't tell anyone what I'm going to tell you. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded frantically, knowing what would happen if she crossed him. "Yes."

"Earlier today, a man tried to poison me, and take my wife. Luckily, a child slammed into me, causing the poisoned wine to spill all over the floor. The wine eroded away the stones, thus revealing the poison inside it. Unfortunately, the man had already escaped by the time I turned around."

The girl took this all in, startled. No wonder he had been so enraged!

Anakin gestured towards the girl. "Well, you'd better be on your way. Remember, don't tell anyone what I just told you."

"I understand. And sir," she hesitated. "Please, please, please, I beg you on bended knee, don't tell the man that I told you anything, if he comes here to ask! He'll hunt me down and kill me and my family!"

Anakin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't say a word to him. He'll be dead before he can even ask."

The man watched Anakin and Padme's apartment from a hedge nearby, using high-powered binoculars. Their windows were all open; it was just too easy to spy on them without them noticing. Watching the bird fly in, he growled in rage as he watched his plan being spoiled by that stupid creature. He watched Anakin chase the girl out of the apartment. Unfortunately, he couldn't see what was happening with them, but he _could_ see his beloved Padme. She dumped the bowl of soup into the sink and picked up the spoon on the floor. Putting on some gloves, she washed the dishes and laid them aside to dry. Then, she paced back and forth in front the the window, her hands in her soft curls. She was obviously fretting about what had just happened. He growled again, a low and menacing sound. _I will get you, my beloved, whether you like it or not,_ he thought angrily. _Soon, you will not even remember the Jedi._ He sneered. _You will be mine. All mine. And he will be dead._

He glared with barely restrained rage as Anakin entered the room. Padme ran into his arms, and he held her tightly.

The man ground his teeth. "I hope you enjoy your short time left with him, Padme. After all, you will never see him _again._ "

Anakin and Padme had wisely decided not to eat any of the food from the restaurant, as both were not sure how many dishes had been tampered with. Instead, Padme cooked with some of the food that they had, and they had a delicious homemade meal. Deciding to stay in the apartment until the rebel meeting the next morning, the couple settled down for the night, knowing that they had a long day ahead of them.

Leia arrived at the Jedi Temple early, refreshed and ready. She was dressed in battle gear, just in case. Han, Chewbacca, and Luke had come with her, although Han had been complaining the whole time about the early hour. She rolled her eyes. Five a.m. was nothing.

Rebels starting trickling in through the door, all of them also dressed in battle gear. Finally, Leia saw her parents come in, carrying their duffel bags, Anakin wearing his Jedi robes. When everyone was seated, Leia cleared her throat, and started the meeting.

"We have some terrible news, unfortunately. A man attempted to kill my father and mother twice yesterday. He tried to sell them poisoned wine, and also put poison into some food that they had ordered from a restaurant. His attempts nearly succeeded. Therefore, when my father leaves, my mother will need all the protection she can get."

The rebels all nodded grimly. "Now, my father's light saber is complete. He will leave in a few hours. Meanwhile, we will station guards around my mother, making sure that she is safe. Luke, Han, and I will also stay with her as well. I will not have any harm come to her."

Padme squeezed her daughter's hand, grateful. Leia smiled up at her, and then looked back at the crowd of rebels. "My father will get us all the information he can, and we will attack as soon as we are organized. Please continue to collect more weapons, the more we have the better." A confident look came over her features. "Remember, be safe and stay calm. We _will_ triumph against the Empire! We _will_ win and restore peace and freedom to the galaxy! For the Rebellion!"

The rebels cheered, and the whole room seemed to be on fire with the determination. The Skywalker family joined hands, knowing that they would do all they could to restore peace to the galaxy.

Little did they know that a certain man, clothed in a dark cloak, was about to make things a _lot_ harder for them...

 **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!**


	11. Part 11

After quite a bit of groaning, Anakin stepped out of the bathroom, decked out in his Vader armor. He clipped his light saber to his belt, which he had been sure to make red so that no one would suspect a thing. "Your lack of faith is disturbing," he grumbled.

Padme laughed. "Oh, Anakin. You'll never convince anyone that you're Darth Vader if you speak like _that._ Not even the voice box can hide your enthusiasm," she teased. "Or should I say, lack of enthusiasm."

Anakin groaned. "Fine." He stood up straight. "You will die if you keep on annoying me!"

Padme giggled, unshaken by the menacing figure that would have caused every other person in the world to cower and grovel in terror. "That's better. Make sure that you always act your part. And make sure that you immediately show Darth Maul who's the boss. Do some of the things Sidious did to you to him."

Padme couldn't read Anakin's emotions behind the black mask, but she knew him so well that she could have sworn he smirked. "He'll enjoy that," he said sarcastically. "As did I."

He unclipped his comlink from his belt and typed in a number. He pressed the red button, and then waited impatiently for an answer. There was a bunch of static, and then it cleared up.

"This is Admiral Piett. How can I help you?"

"Where is the new Imperial base?" Anakin demanded in his slow, robotic voice **(A/N: I said this all in Darth Vader's voice to make sure the words sounded like him; it will be more interesting if you do the same XD If you don't know what it sounds like, go listen to it and prepare to laugh and be terrified at the same time)**

"L-L-Lord Vader!" stuttered Admiral Piett, almost speechless with surprise. "S-So you did survive the explosion after all!"

"Obviously. Did you think that I could be destroyed by a _mere explosion_?"

"O-O-Of course not, Lord Vader. I-I didn't mean to imply-"

"I tire of your impudence, Admiral. If you do not wish to meet the same fate as Admiral Ozzel, _answer me._ Now that Lord Sidious is dead, _I_ am the new emperor of the Galactic Empire. _I_ am Lord Sidious's oldest apprentice, and the most powerful one. Now, _where is the new Imperial base?_ "

"I-It is near the planet Hoth, sir. Our Stardestroyers are stationed behind the enormous planet, nearby some of its neighbors. It shouldn't be too hard to find, now that you know where it is. And, of course you know that to enter the main Stardestroyer, the code is 5197," rambled on the nervous admiral.

"Of course. I will be arriving soon. Darth Maul will learn his place for trying to take the control of the galaxy away from _me._ "

Anakin shut off his comlink. Padme was beaming in admiration. "I knew you could do it!" she said.

"Your lack of faith is disturbing," he repeated.

Anakin had just bought a space shuttle when Padme, Luke, and Leia ran up to him. Leia threw her arms around him. "Please stay safe."

Anakin put his arm around her. "I will, princess. You as well. Promise me?"

"I promise."

Luke gave him a hug. "Please protect your mom as best you can."

"I will."

Padme rushed into his arms. Luke and Leia drew back, as if to give them space, and smiled at each other.

Anakin held her tightly. "I'll miss you, angel. So, so much. Please promise that you'll be safe."

"I promise. And, Ani, promise me that you'll do the same."

"I promise."

"Anakin," she buried her head into his chest, "please come back to me. I can't lose you again. I love you."

"I will, Padme. I swear on the Force that I will come back to you." He drew back and looked at her. "I love you all the way to the end of the galaxy and back. Every day I'll be thinking of you, my angel. Don't forget how much I love you." He kissed her, slowly. They held each other like the world was going to end.

Finally, they reluctantly broke apart. Anakin rushed over to the space shuttle carrying his Vader helmet. Before he stepped in, he turned back and looked at Padme. "I love you."

"I love you, Ani."

Two hours and a long jump into hyperspace later, Anakin was sitting in the cockpit of his shuttle, staring at his Stardestroyer from afar. It brought back bad memories; ones that made him shutter. He didn't want to go back there. He hoped, with everything in him, that he wouldn't have to go back there. But he knew that he did. He was the Republic's only hope. Taking a deep breath, he put his mask on and steered the shuttle towards the huge battleship.

"Name your identity and your purpose."

Anakin pressed a button on the dashboard. "This is Darth Vader. I have come to claim the Empire and show Darth Maul who is in charge." He paused. "Keep in mind that even if he refuses me, I will still find a way to enter. And if I am forced to do so, then be assured that he will regret it."

"T-The access code, sir?"

"5197."

"Come right in, sir." A hatch opened in the main Stardestroyer. Anakin steered his shuttle inside, and stepped out. A line of stormtroopers were waiting for him. The leader stepped forward. "Welcome back, Lord Vader. Your chambers are just as you left them. Lord Maul would like to see you."

Anakin nodded curtly and followed the Imperial soldiers down several corridors, until they reached a heavily barred door, which opened upon their arrival. A figure stood inside, wearing a long, black cloak, its back facing them. At their entrance, it turned and removed its hood.

It was a tall man with a pale face and a pointed nose. There was no expression in his face at all. He was wearing all black, and was holding a light saber, not yet ignited.

"You are dismissed," he told the stormtroopers, who bowed and left. The door slid closed behind Anakin.

"I see you have come to _try_ to claim your 'throne'," drawled the man in a voice as cold as ice. "Unfortunately, I don't think you'll be getting it." He ignited his light saber. Anakin unclipped his and did the same.

"You think you can defeat me, _Lord Vader_? I don't think so. My powers far exceed yours."

Anakin smirked under the mask. "We will see about that, _Lord Maul_. Now, are you going to stand there like all the other cowards I've faced, or are you going to fight like a man?"

Darth Maul growled and somersaulted over the table in front of him. He madly attacked Anakin, who easily deflected his blow. Growling again, Darth Maul began to wildly strike at Anakin, who was finding with disappointment that although he was much younger, and with his limbs intact, it was still harder to fight in the armor than without it. They began to duel fiercely, with Maul on the offense and Vader on the defense. With every block, Anakin's opponent seemed to get more and more angry. Anakin sidestepped Darth Maul and brought his light saber down towards his chest, but he evaded the deadly blade and continued his strikes with a furious gleam in his eyes. Anakin realized that his opponent had a very short temper, and could not take being put down or criticized. He decided to put this to his advantage.

"Well, _Lord Maul_ ," he mocked. "I expected more from you than this. However, I guess I shouldn't expect that much from a _mere captive_."

"You don't know anything about me!" he shrieked, getting dangerously close to Vader. "I am more powerful than you! Even more powerful than Lord Sidious!"

Vader chuckled. "Well, I have yet to get evidence of that." He quickened his strikes, and soon sparks were flying every which way from the intense battle. Anakin realized that Darth Maul was actually more powerful than he thought. If only he didn't have this stupid armor on!

Soon, they were battling on the table, both switching from offense to defense in a matter of seconds. Vader put out his hand and Force pushed Darth Maul off the table, onto the ground. He strode over, but Maul jumped to his feet just in time to block Vader's blow. Objects were flying all around the room, and the chairs were smashed and cut into pieces by the furious onslaught of light sabers.

Suddenly, the Vader's light saber was hit to the floor by one of Maul's wild strikes. Just in time, Vader grabbed Maul with the Force and suspended him in the air. Maul hissed and shot Sith lightning at his opponent. Vader barely dodged it. Angry, he began to choke Maul. "You will learn your place," he hissed, as Maul choked, and shot Sith lightning at the walls. "I will let you live, but you must obey my every command. And if you dare to defy me, I swear by the Force that you will regret it dearly."

He releashed Maul, who crumpled to the ground and lay on the floor, gasping. Glaring at Darth Vader, he retrieved his light saber and stalked out of the room.

Anakin warily watched him leave, and then did the same, sighing in relief. Now that the big battle was over, he just had to keep Darth Maul under control. You never knew what a Sith Lord would do for power...

The cloaked man was crouched by the same bush, staring hungrily at Padme through the layer of glass. He had been there for the past hour, ever since she had come back to the apartment. She had been sitting on the couch, staring silently at a hologram of her and Anakin. Had there been a breakup? Had they gotten divorced? Had she or Anakin made the other angry? He wondered desperately what had happened. Unfortunately, even if they had gotten into a fight, it seemed as if Anakin had initiated it, because Padme didn't look in the least bit angry. In fact, she looked on the verge of tears. He fumed silently, keeping his eyes on the beautiful senator, and decided to stay there for the rest of the day.

Thirteen hours later, Anakin still hadn't returned to the apartment! It was already twelve midnight! He rubbed his hands together, very excited. Either Anakin and Padme had gotten into a very big fight, which was awesome for him, or the Jedi had gone out on a mission. He desperately hoped that it was the first reason. However, whichever one it was, there was one thing clear to him: the Jedi was not there to save Padme. He was a bit worried about Luke and Leia Skywalker, whom he had seen in the apartment, but he was quite sure that a tranquilizer gun would effectively get them out of the way. With Anakin gone,he would be able to capture Padme, and she would _finally_ be his...

 **I made this chapter a little longer than usual! Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!**


	12. Part 12

Anakin stalked through the dark hallways. He had been sure to inform the leader storm trooper that he was now in charge, so hundreds of them lined the walls, bowing as he passed. He arrived at his old chambers, which he immediately opened. It looked exactly the same: everything was black or silver. His bed was made of black material, as were his curtains and towels. The carpet was made of black fur, and the floor tiles were a shiny black as well. It was as gloomy as he remembered. Locking the door, and checking to make sure that cameras hadnt been installed(which they hadn't), he sighed and sat down on the bed. Removing his helmet, he withdrew a small handheld device from his pocket. He pressed the button and a tiny hologram of Padme appeared.

"I love you, Ani. Whatever happens, don't forget how much I love you." She smiled, and then it flickered off, leaving Anakin alone in the darkness of his room.

Darth Maul paced back and forth in his spacious chambers, fuming in barely controlled rage. To think that Vader had ripped the Empire right from his hands! It was infuriating! How dare he!

He picked up a bowl and flung it across the room, where it shattered against the all. It was followed by two more bowls, and a few cups, until the floor in front of the wall was covered in shattered glass and ceramic. " _How dare he!"_ he exclaimed angrily, throwing another dish, this time at a small side table. It fell over, and the lamp on top of it shattered. It felt good to destroy something.

He clenched his fists and howled. All that power, gone in one second! Why couldn't Vader have stayed dead?!

Stumbling backwards, he gripped the counter, breathing heavily. "Somehow," he vowed, glaring at the wall. "Somehow, I will reclaim the Empire. I will reclaim my throne, and prove that I am the most powerful being in the galaxy!"

 ***The next morning***

Anakin strode through the door main command center in his Vader armor. "Have we located the Rebel location at this moment?" he demanded.

Admiral Piett bowed. "Well, sir, we last attacked them on Endor, where they were celebrating the supposed fall of the Empire." He coughed nervously. "We managed to wipe out a vast majority of their troops in a surprise attack, but unfortunately the rest escaped. W-We, ahem, do not know their location at the moment."

Anakin was pleased with this information, but he did his best to act otherwise. He exploded. "What?! You're saying that you _still_ haven't located the Rebels?"

Admiral Piett shrunk backwards, knowing what Lord Vader's anger usually ended with. A Force-choke. "W-Well, sir..."

Anakin huffed in anger. "Darth Maul is even more useless than I thought. Perhaps I should just kill him, instead of keeping him alive for future use. I don't know why he even became a Sith in the first place. Where is he located at the moment?"

"He is locked in his chambers on this floor, not far away."

Anakin turned sharply on his heel and strode away, his cloak billowing behind him, while the officials around him shrank back in fear of his anger.

Once Anakin was out of sight, he stopped, debating on what to do. It would be just like a Sith Lord to keep secrets that no one else knew but himself. What if Maul knew something, or was plotting something that Admiral Piett wasn't aware of? Deciding to go see Darth Maul, Anakin continued down the hallway, deep in though. He needed Maul alive to do his bidding. But he needed him to be kept under control. A Sith Lord was not easily intimidated, but Anakin was sure that he could scare Maul enough that he would follow his every command. The question, however, was whether he would plan to overthrow him or not. The answer to that question was almost certainly yes. Sith Lords strove for power- that was what they lived for. To achieve this, they killed their masters to gain it. Anakin knew that he would have to watch out and be very careful about how he proceeded.

Padme sighed sadly. She was sitting on the bed, gazing out over the city of Coruscant through the wide bedroom window. A light breeze floated through it, bringing the sweet smell of flowers into the room. Clouds were scattered across the blue sky, and birds swooped to and fro, going about their morning duties. The sun just barely peeked over the horizon. The air was cold, just like Padme. She pulled her robe even more tightly over herself, shivering.

It had been terrible, waking up without Anakin by her side. It reminded her of those mornings, when she had waken up alone, all those horrible twenty-three years when Anakin had been Darth Vader, killing hundreds, thousands of innocent people. She remembered wondering if her Ani would ever turn back, away from the Dark Side. She stood, and walked onto her balcony, staring at the sun. It warmed her to the bone. Just like Anakin. His very presense soothed her, brought her peace. Now he was gone again. She leaned against the railing, looking around at the familiar city of Coruscant.

"Oh, Anakin," she said softly, fingering the japor snippet he had given her, so long ago. "Please come home to me, soon. I love you. So much."

A hooded man in a dark cloak watched the 500 Republica apartment complex hungrily from his spot in the bushes. He was staring through an open window, near the top of the towering building, where the rooms were the most expensive. The curtains were open, revealing an immense bedroom, which was connected to the balcony. The sheets of the bed was in many different shades of blue- sky blue, turquoise, pastel blue, periwinkle, and azure. The walls were a cream color, as well as most of the furniture. He couldn't wait for the time when he would be able to occupy this bedroom with his love.

Padme was sitting on the bed, staring out at the city. She was dressed in a thin blue nightgown and a white robe that showed off all of her curves. Her long curls cascaded down her back, and her cheeks were flushed. The man licked his lips, enraptured by her slender and beautiful form. A door was open inside of the bedroom, leading to another room, and looking closer, the man could see that it was filled with dresses. They were in all the colors of the rainbow, some long and slender, and some with huge petticoats. Outfits of all kinds lined the closet. As the man ravished the thought of his gorgeous senator dressed in each and every outfit, he suddenly caught sight of something that made him stop abruptly. Lined up neatly beside the senator's outfits and dresses... were _Jedi robes._ There were quite a few of them; some were casual, some were more dressy for special occasions. The fact of the matter was that they were there. He narrowed his eyes into slits. The Jedi would pay for stealing _his_ senator, make no mistake about that.

Lost in his angry thoughts of revenge, the man almost didn't see the senator herself open the big french doors and step onto the balcony. He quickly ducked to make sure that he wouldn't be seen. He watched her gaze out at the sunrise, her face alight with the sun's rays. He saw her whisper something tenderly, while fingering a small object beneath her robe. Zooming in on his binoculars, he caught sight of the object. It was a smoothly carved snippet of japor on a string. She had hidden it beneath her robe, close to her heart. He suddenly realized what it was. It was the gift from the Jedi! He gritted his teeth and tightened his jaw until it hurt, taking a deep breath. Long after she had retreated back into her bedroom, he was still there, staring at the same spot that she had been standing. "You are mine, Padme. You will pay for thinking about that damned Jedi! I don't care how it's done, as long as it's painful; your precious Jedi will die!"

The door slid open with a hiss, and Anakin marched inside the room. Darth Maul was standing facing the wall, away from him. Shattered glass and ceramic covered the floor, and many things in the room were broken. Everything was in disarray.

"What do you need, _My Master_?" sneered Darth Maul mockingly, turning towards him. His eyes were glowing a sickly yellow.

"Have you located the Rebels yet, my apprentice? Admiral Piett seemed to think that you were inefficient enough not to have located them yet."

Darth Maul growled, and looked like he wanted to throw some more things. " _Not yet, My Master._ "

Anakin scoffed. "Very well. Perhaps you will prove more useful and more efficient of a leader in the future. Now, Darth Maul, have you sent any assassins already, or any spies? Have you even done anything? I need to know before anymore are sent out. Let me remind you that I can tell if you are lying. I am much more powerful in the Force than you." He smirked at his reaction.

"In fact, _My Master,_ I have. I have sent a skilled assassin to kill the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker. All he wants in return is Senator Padme Amidala."

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!


	13. Part 13

Anakin was stunned. " _What did you say?"_

There is a Jedi, Anakin Skywalker, who has apparently come back from the Force. The Jedi is apparently a very big threat, as he was called 'The Hero With No Fear,' he spat on the ground, "and, 'The Chosen One.'" He smirked. "Obviously, he wasn't 'The Chosen One,' because he betrayed the Jedi, joined the Sith, and died at the hands of his old master." He sneered. "Not very powerful, if you ask me."

Anakin wanted to Force choke him then and there, but he restrained himself, knowing that he would need Maul to go kill the other allies of the Empire, while he passed on information to the Rebels. "Continue."

"Well, apparently the Jedi learned exactly _how powerful of a Sith he could be_ , and decided not to embarrass himself again, therefore deciding to correct his wrongs by turning back to his old Jedi ways. The assassin came to me, saying that he would kill Anakin Skywalker. Apparently he has a debt to pay with the Jedi. He told me that Senator Padme Amidala is in love with Skywalker, and that he wants her for his own. The deal was that he would kill the Jedi, and that I would help him make the Senator comply with his wishes. If he failed, all the blame would be on him. He must be very desperate." He leered. "However, he is a very good assassin. He will do his job, I assure you."

Anakin caught his breath. _Darth Maul_ had been the one behind the man trying to kill him. _Darth Maul_ had agreed to force Padme to do whatever the man wished. _Darth Maul_ had been behind the one who was trying to take his angel from him. Suddenly, it was very hard to breathe. He was so angry that he was afraid his eyes might be glowing Sith yellow.

He gritted his teeth. "Well, Lord Maul, you seem to be of some use after all. Very good, my apprentice."

Maul's eyes flared yellow in anger, but he gave no response.

"You will be sent to kill some of our rebellious allies shortly. They have decided to try to take the power from our hands," Anakin lied easily. "Stay here for now."

He turned and strode out of the room, the door hissing shut behind him. Angrily, he stormed down the hallways to his chambers, not stopping until he was safely confined behind its doors. Removing his mask, and throwing it on the floor with a crash, Anakin withdrew the hidden comlink from his pocket. He typed in a number quickly, and pressed the main red button. Padme needed to know about this immediately!

There was a bit of static, and then Padme's voice. "Ani? Are you there?"

He sighed in relief. She was safe! "Yes, Padme, I'm here. How are you? Are you okay? I've missed you."

I've missed you too, Anakin. And yes, I'm fine. Luke and Leia are keeping me company, as well as doing a good job protecting me. I'm so proud of them." She sighed happily. "R2 and C3PO are taking care of me as well. I'm doing fine."

"Good."

"Anakin, are you okay? You sound really worried, frustrated... and angry."

"I-I-I'm fine. It's just that I've gotten some news from Maul. Do you remember that man who was trying to kill us, who almost poisoned me twice?"

"Yes." She now sounded worried as well.

"I could sense that he wanted you, through the Force. I was right. Apparently Maul and this skilled assassin has been working together to kill me, and take you captive. The assassin made him a deal: he would kill me, and in return Maul would help him make you... comply with his wishes. The man seems to think that I'm getting in the way, because we love each other, and because I would never let anyone take you from me and force you to do things against your will. Neither of them know that I am Darth Vader, of course. Maul doesn't seem to know that I am gone, but the assassin probably does. He probably thinks that I'm out of the way, and is planning to take you at this very moment."

Padme sounded scared now. "Oh, no," she whispered, her voice shaky.

"You'll be fine, Padme." Anakin sounded as if he was trying to convince himself of this point. "Luke and Leia will protect you. Just... be careful. Please."

"I will. I promise. I'll comm you immediately if anything seems strange or unusual, or if anything happens."

"Good. I love you. Please stay safe. For me."

"Of course. I love you too, Ani."

The hooded man sealed the cream envelope, and laid it in from the Padme's door, along with a dozen long-stemmed, perfect red roses. He smirked and crept away, rushing to his hiding spot to see her reaction.

"I hope you enjoy the roses, my love," he purred. "I went through a lot to get the finest ones on Naboo. Mark my words, once we are together at last, I will get you whatever you like, and kill to get _the best._ It will be a _much_ better life than the one you have now, my sweet. You will be happily in my arms, and the Jedi will be dead."

Padme rose from the couch, worried, but smiling slightly. The sound of her Anakin's voice was enough to make her happy. When he spoke, she still got that tingling feeling down her spine that she had gotten ever since the day she had first met him. She sighed, hoping beyond words that he would come back soon. Walking quickly over to the balcony doors, she closed and locked them, as Anakin had made her promise to be safe. Then, she went to the counter, and began making soup. The apartment was soon filled with the delicious aroma of chicken noddle soup( **sorry, my favorite)**.

Suddenly, Luke and Leia rushed into the room. The twins were both in their battle gear, Luke with his light saber clipped to his belt, and Leia with a blaster clipped to hers. Luke was carrying a cream envelope, with fancy writing on the front, and Leia was carrying a dozen long-stemmed, beautiful red roses.

"Mom! Luke gasped, out of breath. "We sensed danger outside in the corridor, where the elevator is located, but when we went to go check what was there, we found this."

He and Leia handed Padme the envelope and the bunch of roses. Padme looked bewildered but pleased. "Oh! That's funny. Well, that was nice of whoever left the roses."

She inhaled the sweet scent deeply. "They're beautiful." Picking up the envelope, she turned it around, to see her name in beautiful curvy letters.

"Probably from an admirer," Leia noted.

"I think you're right," Padme said, breaking the seal and sliding an expensive piece of cream paper out of the envelope. Laying it on the counter, she unfolded the letter and read:

 _"My Dearest Nubian Rose,_

 _Oh, how I have missed you. Your gorgeous features. Your sweet voice. Your intoxicating scent. Your soft lips. You are so beautiful, my love. I remember our first kiss. It is, to this day, the best kiss that I have ever had. I can't wait until I will finally be able to make you mine. You will never even remember the name Anakin Skywalker once I am done with you. I will be the only man you ever think of. You are mine, and it is best that you remember that. I can't believe that you left me, only to fall in love with that Jedi. They are forbidden to love. He betrayed his friends, and you. He joined the Sith, and died at the hands of his old Master. I don't understand how you could still love him. I am much more handsome, and we are meant to be together, Padme. Don't you dare deny it. Forget about your pathetic Jedi. He will soon be dead. You are mine. Now and forever. I am coming for you. Soon."_

Padme gasped and dropped the letter, like it had just burned her. She stumbled backwards and gripped the counter, breathing heavily, fear in her eyes.

"Mom?" Leia stepped forward, concern in her eyes. Luke was behind her, mirroring her expression. "Are you okay? What does it say?"

Padme gestured to it. "R-R-Read it. This is what Anakin warned me about!"

Leia knelt to the floor and grabbed the letter, holding it in front of her and Luke. As they read it, their eyes widened. Meanwhile, Padme straightened up, trying her best to pull herself together.

"So this was the man who was trying to poison Dad!" Luke exclaimed. He narrowed his eyes. "Don't worry. We'll take care of him. He won't be able to lay a hand on you, or Dad."

"Thank you. But you need to be careful, Luke. He is a very skilled assassin, and he almost killed your father! Who knows what else he has up his sleeves!" She lifted her arms, and the dropped them helplessly.

Leia gave Padme a hug, worry clear in her eyes. "Oh, Mom. Everything's going to be fine."

Padme squeezed her daughter tightly. "I hope so. Thank you. Sorry that I had such a big reaction to this... letter. But," she paused, "it's just that- I haven't been this scared in a while. Up in the Force, I had nothing really to worry, or be scared about. And I can't," her voice broke, "live without Anakin. The thought of not being able to be with him anymore... I can't breathe. I just got him back. I can't lose him again. And if this assassin succeeds in his mission to kill Anakin, by some miracle, I..." She took a deep breath, and tried again. "I-I can't live without him."

The twins rushed forward and embraced her, so fiercely that they all tumbled backwards onto the couch. Giving a short laugh, they put their arms back around each other. Padme smiled, glad that she had her children there with her.

A few minutes later, she reluctantly pulled back. "I should probably tell Anakin about what just happened. He'll want to know."

Meanwhile, a hooded man in a dark cloak was hidden in the shadows beyond the apartment complex, planning terrible things in order to capture the senator...

Thanks for reading! Follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!


	14. Part 14

Padme quickly retrieved her comlink on the counter. Dialing Anakin's number, she walked rapidly over to the sofa and sat down. She pressed the red button and worriedly stared at the screen, biting her lip, her forehead creased with concern. "

"Padme! Are you alright? Is anything wrong?"

"I-I'm fine, Anakin, but something just happened. . ." she hesitated, and then took a deep breath. "I-I got a letter, and a dozen long-stemned roses. They were left in front of my door."

"Oh?" Anakin said curiously, with a little bit of possessiveness in his tone **(sorry, I just had to add that :))**. "What did the letter say? Who is it from?"

"I-It's from the man who tried to kill you. He- I think he's been stalking me. The letter. . . it made me feel scared. And Luke and Leia said that they sensed danger lurking outside the door. When they opened it to check, they found the letter and the roses. I'm afraid."

"Oh Padme. . . what did it say? Can you read it to me?"

Walking over, Padme picked up the cream piece of paper like it was on fire. Going back over to the couch, she began to read aloud:

 _"My Dearest Nubian Rose,_

 _Oh, how I have missed you. Your gorgeous features. Your sweet voice. Your intoxicating scent. Your soft lips. You are so beautiful, my love. I remember our first kiss. It is, to this day, the best kiss that I have ever had. I can't wait until I will finally be able to make you mine. "_ Her voice shook. _"You will never even remember the name Anakin Skywalker once I am done with you. I will be the only man you ever think of. You are mine, and it is best that you remember that. I can't believe that you left me, only to fall in love with that Jedi. They are forbidden to love. He betrayed his friends, and you. He joined the Sith, and died at the hands of his old Master. I don't understand how you could still love him. I am much more handsome, and we are meant to be together, Padme. Don't you dare deny it. Forget about your pathetic Jedi. He will soon be dead. You are mine. Now and forever. I am coming for you. Soon."_

Anakin's mind was reeling. His thoughts were whirling in his mind like a hurricane. He sat down on his bed, shocked, as he listened to Padme's shaky voice. _That man had DARED to leave such a letter for Padme?! How dare he? How DARE he leave such a letter for his angel? And how DARE he insult him in such a way?_

He trembled with fury, on the verge of exploding with rage. Taking a deep breath, he tried to steady himself. The Jedi had taught him to control his anger! To concentrate his mind! So why was it so hard to control his anger now? He took another deep breath, trying to slow down his rapid heart rate. His arms shook. _How DARE the man?!_

He rose and stared at his reflection through a mirror. His eyes were icy blue, cold as steel, with murderous wrath. And that wasn't the worse of it. He knew that if he didn't control himself, his eyes would turn Sith yellow, he he would most certainly do things that he would regret. He wanted to hunt down that man, and destroy whatever got into his way. And when he found him. . . he could promise that it would not be pretty. He would make that man pay for everything he had done to Padme. He wanted to make that man feel ten times the fear Padme had. That fear he heard in her voice. . .it would be tripled by the time he was done with that man. And Padme was a brave woman. She and Leia were probably the bravest women he knew- braver than a lot of man. That man would pay at least triple for all the pain he had caused his angel. He couldn't wait to get his hands on him. To torture him, and choke him dead with the Force until the man begged for mercy on bended knee. Death by his light saber was not good enough for that bastard. For a moment, his eyes glittered gold. . .and then returned to the color of ice. He could feel the presence of Vader, creeping up behind him, tempting him. He could feel the presence of the Dark Side.

"Anakin? Are you still there? Are you all right?" Padme's voice came through the comlink, interrupting his frenzied thoughts. She sounded worried.

He snatched it up. "I'm fine."

"Anakin, is it still hard for you to be honest with me? What's wrong?"

"It's just. . ." he took a deep breath, "it's hard to control myself. I can't believe that man would even dare send you such a letter! How dare he! I just want to. . . . . . . . . . . . ." He growled softly in the back of his throat.

"Oh, Ani. . .it's not _that_ bad."

"Really? I think I know you better than that, Padme. You're brave. Fearless. You're always putting on a strong facade. No matter what happens, you're courageous. You hide your fear in order to keep others from worrying, and keep going. It's doesn't matter how scared you are. How much you need help. You'll always think about the good of others first. I know you. You hide your fear, no matter how scared you are. And besides, I can feel your fear through the Force." When he really concentrated, he could sense fear lingering beneath her bold statements.

She gave a strangled laugh. "I guess I can't really hide things from you, can I?" He began to laugh with her. When he looked back into the mirror, his eyes were again the blue of Naboo's lakes.

"I'll be fine, Ani. Just. . .try to come home as soon as you can. Please. I miss you. . .so terribly." The sadness and longing in her voice broke his heart.

"I will, my angel. I promise." He paused. "I love you. So much. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course. I love you too, Anakin."

Padme slowly put down the comlink, staring off into the distance. It was stuffy, so she crossed the room and opened a small window. She sighed as a cool breeze drifted into the room. After a few minutes, she walked into the lounge, where Luke and Leia were now good-naturedly arguing about who was more dangerous in combat.

"I have a light saber! They can cut through anything except another light saber, and other light sabers are _pretty_ rare right now, don't you think? So, obviously I'm more dangerous!"

"Well, that _may_ be true, but I'm pretty handy with a blaster! Besides, I have brains." She pointed to her temple teasingly. Luke scowled. Leia laughed.

"You're a mean person."

"Obviously, we should fight together! I have brains, and you have brawn! I mean, together, we're unstoppable! And then we got Han, who's pretty handy at flying ships! And Chewie, who's amazing at mauling people to death!"

That got Luke. He burst out laughing. Leia joined in. Just then, they noticed Padme standing in the doorway, watching their disagreement with an amused expression.

"Oh! Mom! We didn't realize you were here," Luke said.

"I was thinking about making a snack for the rebels keeping watch. What do you think? Maybe a forest-honey cake."

"Yes! That sounds great! Can I have some when it's done?" Luke asked.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Good idea. I'll help."

They walked back into the kitchen. Padme, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped. Luke and Leia bumped into her from her abrupt stop.

"Look," she said faintly, pointing ahead.

The room looked much more different than when Padme had just left less than ten minutes ago. A bouquet of roses lay on the counter. A few were scattered on the floor, leading up the the bouquet, like they had fallen while being hurriedly delivered. Luke and Leia were shocked. How exactly could someone have delivered the roses that quickly, without being discovered?

A man in a black cloak, with a hood over his features, watched the Senator's apartment intently. He held a sort of remote, controlling a droid about the size of a crow, which was flying back over to him. He caught it out of the air and shoved it behind him, snatching up his binoculars. He watched the apartment with a satisfied smile.

"I hope you enjoy the roses, my Nubian rose," he purred, smirking. "You deserve them. You are even more lovely than they are. There are very few women in this galaxy who are more beautiful than a rose. I can't wait to finally make you mine. The planning is almost complete, my love. It will be soon."

Padme stumbled back to her bedroom, scared and worried. Almost tripping over her long skirts, she went as quickly as she could, just wanting to go to sleep and forget everything. Leia followed, murmuring soothing words that Padme couldn't hear, while Luke went back to keep watch, under Leia's orders. In her bedroom doorway, she stopped again, stunned. On her bed was another bunch of roses. . .and a chocolate cake. There was another piece of cream paper on top of the roses. On it, in curvy letters, it said:

" _Sweets for my sweet rose. You are as beautiful as an angel. I can't wait to meet you again, after so long. Don't worry, my angel. It will be very soon."_

As soon as she finished reading it, she narrowed her eyes. Her entire attitude changed. She drew herself up, threw back her shoulders, and snarled: " _No one_ can call me an angel _except for Anakin._ "

Luke peered into the darkness beyond the apartment building. The full moon shone brightly over the city of Coruscant. Most of the city was sleeping. The Force was calm, except for the anger he could feel simmering in his father.

"All clear?" he whispered to Leia, who was doing the same on the other side of Padme's apartment.

"Yes," she whispered back. "You?"

"Yep," he said.

"Okay. I'll go to the front with the rebels. Here's the layout: two rebels down by the entrance to the building. They're there to make sure everything's fine. They'll warn us if the see anything suspicious. Though we probably don't need it, since we have the Force." She smirked. "Still, take this, just in case." She tossed him a comlink. "Five rebels and I will be near the elevator. Five rebels are right inside the door to the hallway, to back you up."

Luke nodded. "That sounds good. Don't fall asleep," he joked.

Leia smirked. "You have a bigger chance of falling asleep than I do." She paused. "Remember, you can commicate with me through our Force link. See you tomorrow at dawn."

She left, and Luke settled down in front of the window, his eyes on the city below. He scanned everything within sight. After a careful and thorough investigation, his eyes landed on the shrubbery around the apartment complex. Suddenly, the moonlight glinted off something. The Force screamed danger. Luke strained his eyes urgently into the darkness. What he saw then made him start. A pair of binoculars was aimed at him.

 **I hope you all enjoyed that! Thanks for reading! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!**


	15. Part 15

Padme woke to a hushed and frenzied scramble outside her room Urgent whispers could just barely be heard and the air was filled with shock and tension. This was unnerving enough. But what really shook Padme was this hiss of a hight saber being ignited.

At this, she scrambled out of bed, yanked open a drawer in her bedside table, and pulled out a blaster. Careful to make as little noise as possibly, Padme softly ran to the door and put her ear to it, listening intently. Taking a deep breath, and without a second thought, she wrenched the door open, holding her blaster ready.

Instead of seeing a Sith Lord, his red light saber blazing and casting shadows around the room, or a hooded man, his eyes gleaming, ready to capture her, she saw Luke. The green glow of his light saber lit up the room. He and Leia were staring through the glass of the huge living room windows into the night, as if they were looking for something. . .or someone. Much of the city was asleep. It was very quiet. Only the occasional quiet hum of a speeder landing in the distance broke the silence. A full moon hung high in the sky, a stark contrast to the endless twilight expanse of the galaxy **(it took me ten minutes to think up that phrase XD I was trying to figure out the perfect way to describe the sky)**. Its silvery light shone through the clear covering of the speeder landing pad, making the room almost bright with its glow. Leia was clutching a blaster, and in her left hand was a comm. Five rebels crouched behind them, their blasters ready as well.

Padme's entrance startled them. Obviously already wary and alert, they jerked their heads in her direction. Seeing her, however, the twins sighed in relief. Padme did the same.

"Thank goodness that it's only you guys! I was expecting a Sith Lord at worst!" She crossed the room to stand by her children, lowering her blaster as she did so.

Leia smiled grimly, still keeping her blaster at a ready position. "Not quite that bad. But Luke caught that," she made a disgusted face, " _stalker_ in the midst of spying on us."

Padme was shocked. "W-What? So I was right!"

Leia nodded, still grim. "Yes. I won't be surprised if he's been spying on you the past few days, since you came back from the Force. Luke was keeping watch here, when the Force screamed danger. I felt it too. When he investigated, he saw a pair of binoculars aimed at him. A man was secretly watching him from some shubbery beside the apartment complex."

Padme gasped. All that time she had been outside. . .on her balcony. . .looking through the windows. . .he had been watching her. She had felt a weird tingling feeling down her spine, like she was being watched. Apparently her suspicions were correct.

It was very cold. Trees bent under the weight of the furious wind. It whipped branches to and fro, causing leaves to fall like rain. The darkness was overwhelming. Only the light of the full moon seemed to be able to penetrate the thick blanket of darkness. None of this, however, fazed a man in the midst of it all. He was in a dark cloak, with a hood puled over his head. The cold air did not seem to bother him. He was focused on something else. A tall apartment building, the richest of them all, where only the most important and wealthy people stayed. 500 Republica. He was tucked into the shadows, just so that it would be nearly impossible to see him. His black cloak blended in with the darkness around him.

Through his binoculars, he could see the usual: Jedi Skywalker Junior in front of Padme's bedroom door, along with five rebels just inside her apartment entrance. He was sure that Ms. Skywalker Junior would be outside Padme's apartment somewhere, waiting for him, with more rebels. He sighed.

"This is going to be harder than I expected, my love," he purred. "But have no fear. The time will soon come where you will be in my arms."

Suddenly, something broke his thoughts. Jedi Skywalker Junior had just ignited his light saber. He was beckoning stood behind him. They were all looking at _him._

In a flash, the hooded man stood and crept away, deeper and deeper into the shadows. He was sure that ms. Skywalker Junior would be along soon, and he would rather not bump into any of them now. Quickly rushing father and father away, he didn't stop until he was far away from the apartment and the Skywalker twins.

He smirked. "Maybe not today. But soon, my love."

Leia was kneeling in front of the elevator, alert. Her eyes were bright, and at that moment, she seemed immune to sleepiness and fatigue. The rebels behind her were very disciplined, and they were doing a very good job of being alert. However, you could still tell that the day was catching up to them, and that they needed rest. Leia smiled at them encouragingly.

"Thank you for coming with Luke and I to protect our mother. It was very kind of you to come of your own free will. You are very courageous, and I am glad that you are all here with me. Good job, and keep up the good work!"

They all gave her tired, but warm smiles. "Thank you, princess," one said, speaking for all of them. "We are glad that we could help."

"You definitely have."

They settled down, trying the their best not to grow drowsy, while Leia listened carefully, while watching the shadows intently. She realized that if the stalker was to come try to get Padme, there was a high chance that he would come through them. The rebels were tired and worn out from that day's hard work. She would have to stay awake, and be alert. Her father was counting on her to keep her mother safe.

She hoped that Luke was thinking the same thing, and that he wouldn't fall asleep either. If either of them was just a little less careful, it could end in a lot of damage. She hoped that Luke would be able to warn her as soon as possible, so that she could go help him. Unfortunately, she wasn't as trained in the Force as Luke was, but their Force-bond was pretty strong. She was glad for it.

She settled into peaceful thinking. It was very quiet.

Suddenly, the Force seemed to scream danger at her. Chills ran down her spine, and she had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Clutching her blaster tightly, she quickly stood, the rebels following suite.

"What it is, Princess Leia?" one asked urgently.

"I-I don't know yet. Wait."

And then it came at her. With the force of a bullet. She staggered back and it seemed to slam into her from all sides. She clutched her head.

" _Leia! A man is spying on us at this very minute! He's hiding in some bushes by the apartment, with some binoculars aimed our way! I think he might have already escaped! Hurry!"_

She dashed down the hallway, with the rebels at her heels. Fumbling with the keys, which she took from her pocket, she opened the door and sprinted in, her blaster raised. She saw Luke and the other rebels in front of the window, tense. Luke turned.

"He escaped. We need to send the two rebels below to see if they can find him."

Leia nodded and withdrew the comlink. Pressing the red button, she said urgently, "Someone spotted. Probably wearing a black cloak. He used to be in the shrubbery by the apartment complex. Search for him."

The comm beeped. "Yes, Princess. At it."

Luke looked grim. "Let's just hope he doesn't escape."

Meanwhile, the hooded man had found a different hiding place. In 500 Republica's main speeder landing pad, where many people put their speeders if they were bigger than normal, or if they just didn't want them in their apartments. It was a great hiding place. There was always people there. At night, there were a few, so movement wouldn't be suspicious. The speeders were huge, and had a lot of hiding places in and between them. The Skywalker twins wouldn't ever think that he'd be there, and even if they did, they would never notice or find him.

He was crouched in between a bright yellow speeder, and a red one. There was a tiny probe droid in the palm of his hand. Using a small hand remote, about as big as a comlink, he had the probe droid rise a couple inches in the air, off of his hand. Slowly, it rose and flew silently over to Padme's window, about fifty feet away. It was still very dark, and the probe droid was so small, it could barely be seen. If you saw it, it just looked like a fly. It swooped towards her huge glass windows and hovered there for a few minutes. Then, just as quickly, it sped back towards the hooded man, landing back onto his hand.

He pressed a button on the remote, and a small holographic image was projected out of the tiny probe droid. It was of Padme, tossing and turning restlessly in her bed. After staring at the image for a while, he pressed another button, and a holographic video appeared. It was of the Skywalker twins, speaking in hushed whispers.

"How are we going to catch this man? Father says that he is a skilled assassin. It's going to be very difficult to get ahold of him." This was Jedi Skywalker Junior.

"If we don't, Mom will continued to be tormented by anxiety. Besides, we can't risk anything. We're the only Force users in the galaxy besides Father and Maul, Luke. This shouldn't be hard."

The man turned the video off. He smirked evilly. "Oh, Ms. Skywalker Junior, I'm afraid that it will be very hard. Why? _I_ will make it very hard for you."

 **I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!**


	16. Part 16

If there was a reason besides his very obvious, and quite superior fighting skills, that he got chosen as a Sith Lord, it would be for his cunningness. Darth Maul knew his devious plans were quite ingenious, due to his superior brain. He was quite sure that Vader would never realize what hit him.

He swiped his fingers, and the door to his room opened with a hiss. He stalked through the doorway and down the halls, careful to muffle his Force presence to the very minimum. When he reached the entrance to the control room of the Stardestroyer, he paused for a moment, reaching out through the Force. Satisfied that Vader was nowhere near, he strode through the doorway. As soon as they saw him, the men within immediately straightened, and doubled their efforts. Maul went up to Admiral Piett, who was yelling at one of the men.

"Do you realize what your folly might cost you? Lord Vader may strangle you to death if he finds out about this, as he did to Admiral Ozzel, and so many others? Do you wish to share their fate?" He hissed.

"W-W-Well. . ." the man stuttered. "I'll get right to work, sir. Lord Vader need not know of this matter."

"Admiral Piett."

Firmus Piett turned around quickly. When he saw Darth Maul, he bent into a short bow. To Maul's satisfaction, he noted that the admiral did not seem to know of his fight with Vader. "Yes, Lord Maul?"

"Do you know the whereabouts of Lord Vader at the moment? Has he set off on any missions?"

"Not yet, sir. He is, ahem," Piett searched for less offensive words. It would not do to tell Lord Maul that Vader thought him "unresponsible," "immature," "a terrible leader," and "the worst Sith Lord of all time." "Well, he is rearranging everything on the Executor, ahem, putting things the way he likes them. Getting more information on our forces, our allies, the such. He is most likely in his quarters at the moment, getting ready to set out for Kamino."

"Thank you, Admiral." Piett gave a stiff nod, and turned away.

Maul also turned, and went immediately to the contact station. He typed something into the glowing control board, and quickly activated the holoprojector. He straightened his back, stood tall, and tried his best to appear dangerous and formidable. A scene flickered, and then cleared, displaying the Prime Minister of Kamino, adorned in black robes.

"Lord Maul," the alien said its slow, quiet voice. "And what is the reason I am to expect this pleasure?"

"I am told that an enemy is on his way to Kamino at this very moment. Be not deceived by his appearance. He is an enemy, and quite dangerous, I assure you. It is possible that he may be one of the last existing Jedi. He is trying to eliminate our supply of stormtroopers," Maul lied, grinning maliciously. "This is a major problem for the Empire. Lord Sidious would not have wanted his ingenious plan to be foiled by one man. Gather all the ready stormtroopers that you have there, and be prepared to keep that man away from the cloning area. He cannot be allowed to ruin our plans!"

The Prime Minister thought for a second. "I see. We have two hundred stormtroopers ready. That should be more than enough for a single man, even if he is one of the Jedi. Be assured, the man will not accomplish his plan."

"Thank you. You will be rewarded."

The Prime Minister nodded, and the hologram flickered off. Maul inactivated the holoprojector **(by the way, it took a lot of research for me to figure out how to work holograms, there's like** _ **no**_ **information on the internet)** , smirking evilly. He turned to go back to his chambers. . .only to see Vader standing in the doorway.

Anakin knew he could not allow more stormtroopers to be cloned on Kamino. The stormtroopers were programmed to only obey the Empire, thanks to Sidious. He could not allow more of them to be created. It wasn't fair to them, and the Empire certainly had enough of them. Besides, the more stormtroopers there were, the harder it would be for the Rebel Alliance to win.

He decided his first stop would be at Kamino. He would visit the Prime Minister, and make it known that the Empire needed no more stormtroopers. Rising from his black leather couch, he put his mask on and headed to the main control room.

When he arrived, and the men saw him, they turned their terrified faces quickly to their work, frantically trying to work as quickly as was humanely possible **(notice this reaction is quite different from the reaction of the men when Maul entered ;)**. It went silent, and the tension was palpable. Anakin marched up to Admiral Piett, who quickly straightened and put all his attention onto the towering figure before him. He swallowed nervously.

"I am leaving for a brief trip to Kamino. Ready my shuttle."

"Yes, sir."

"Where is Darth Maul?"

"He is. . ." Piett thought frantically. "He went through that doorway. Might be in the contact station." He wiped sweat off of his brow.

"Thank you."

Piett was shocked, as he wasn't use to this much politeness from the most dangerous man in the galaxy. "O-Of course, sir."

Anakin strode through the doorway. He began to walk slower as he scanned his surroundings, looking for Maul. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he slowed his breathing, knowing that Maul might be up to mischief.

Soon he was at the door of the contact station. His suspicions were correct. Maul was in the middle of contacting the Prime Minister of Kamino. He listened carefully.

". . .an enemy is on his way to Kamino at this very moment. Be not deceived by his appearance. He is an enemy, and quite dangerous, I assure you. It is possible that he may be one of the last existing Jedi. He is trying to eliminate our supply of stormtroopers," Maul was saying. "This is a major problem for the Empire. Lord Sidious would not have wanted his ingenious plan to be foiled by one man. Gather all the ready stormtroopers that you have there, and be prepared to keep that man away from the cloning area. He cannot be allowed to ruin our plans!"

The Prime Minister thought for a second. "I see. We have two hundred stormtroopers ready. That should be more than enough for a single man, even if he is one of the Jedi. Be assured, the man will not accomplish his plan."

"Thank you. You will be rewarded."

Maul inactivated the holoprojector, and turned to hurry away, an evil smirk on his face. Suddenly, he froze, seeing Anakin in the doorway, his smirk frozen on his face.

Now, it was Anakin's turn to smirk. He lifted the man off the ground, clenching his throat tightly. "And what, may I ask, are you doing?"

"N-Nothing," Maul stuttered. He seemed to collect himself. "Are you so afraid of trouble that you think everything is a plot against you?" He laughed. "You should be. I am the most powerful Sith Lord to ever exist. Someday, you will be destroyed, and I will rule the galaxy."

"Oh, really? You don't seem capable of that at the moment, seeing I could kill you right now." Anakin had an urge to strangle the man, but he knew that Maul must be kept alive for a necessary amount of time, if their plans were to succeed.

Maul's smile faltered. "I assure you, I am more powerful than you think," he said haughtily. "Now, what is your reason for keeping me here? Obviously, you are so powerful that nothing should scare you, so why are you so worried?"

"I am cautious, just like Lord Sidious. If you were a decent Sith Lord, you would know that being cautious is a smart thing to do."

Maul reddened.

"You may go. But be warned," Anakin leaned forward, "I do not tolerate rebellion. Terrible things will happen to you if you try it."

He released Darth Maul, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He glared at Anakin and stalked out of the room.

Anakin knew he had to watch Maul carefully. But he also had a mission to complete. Thanks to Maul, it would be more difficult now. He just had to find out how much more.

Padme was getting restless, cooped in her apartment for several days in a room. She dawdled around the place, watching holofilms, reading, and just staring out of the window, fingering the japor snippet. She was very was getting worried.

"Mom," Leia said firmly.

Padme snapped out of her reverie, and glanced up.

"You obviously need some fresh air. Stop thinking about Dad for a minute and come with Luke and I. We'll go to the market, walk around. . .do anything. We all need the exercise. It's tiring being cooped up in here."

Padme nodded. "You're right. Good idea."

A few minutes later, they were all walking out of the main entrance of the 500 Republica. Padme took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, crisp fall air. A smile crossed her face. "It's so nice being out here again."

Luke and Leia immediately agreed. Keeping close by Padme, one standing on either side of her, the trio stolled down the streets, the twins keeping a careful watch on their surroundings. In no time, they were at the marketplace. Padme remembered the last time she had been there, and a longing look came onto her face.

"I miss Anakin," she said softly.

Leia gave her a hug. "Dad will be home soon, Mom. Don't worry."

Padme smiled at her. Suddenly, she stopped, as she had almost bumped into a man. He was very handsome, with dark hair, and a charming smile. She thought she knew his features, and was sure that she had seen him before. She couldn't put her finger on it. It was like a butterfly, keeping right out of her reach, and it was infuriating.

Luke and Leia automatically drew closer to her, Leia putting a hand on her blaster, and Luke putting a hand on the lightsaber clipped to his belt.

The man probably noticed, but he didn't act like it. "I'm sorry about that, Miss. . . ?"

"Padme."

"I'm sorry about that, Miss Padme. It was all my fault." He smiled warmly at her.

"No, part of the blame is on me, too. Don't worry about it." She smiled back. When she made to move past him, he cut in front of her again.

"You know, you are very beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, if you don't count your young bodyguard." He winked at Leia. She was not amused.

"Thank you." She said coldly. "Not we must be on our way." She ushered Padme forward, and Luke followed suit.

"Why did you act so cold? Did he do something? I thought he was nice."

Luke furrowed his brow. "It was probably smart of Leia." He looked back, only to find that the man was gone. "There was something dangerous about him."

Thanks for reading! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!


	17. Part 17

Maul was tired of being stuck in his room forever. He stalked over the the door and swiped his fingers, trying to open it with the Force. What was normally so easy wasn't working, for some reason. The door refused to slide open. He huffed and tried again, to no avail.

"What is _wrong_ with me?" he hissed. He swiped his fingers again, this time at a mirror. Immediately, it disconnected from the wall and toppled to the ground, shattering.

"What the _kriff_ is going on?"

Just then, his personal robot wandered in from the kitchen. "Your dinner is ready, sir."

" _Why the kriff won't my door open?"_ Maul snarled.

"Oh, sir, Lord Vader has instructed that you stay in your chambers until receiving your assignment. Storm troopers are posted outside your door, and Lord Vader has used his exemplary Force skills to secure all exits. He is quite skilled, so I'm afraid that getting out will be very difficult. No one is allowed to come in or out of your chambers unless instructed by Lord Vader."

Maul howled in rage. The robot burst into flames, and burned until it was only scraps of metal. Objects began to fly around the room, smashing. Maul's eyes glowed Sith yellow.

"Vader will pay for this insult!" he screamed, a crazed gleam in his eyes. "When I get my hands back on the Empire, he will pay for all of his foolish actions! How _dare_ he come here in the first place!" He flung the chandelier at the wall, where it smashed into a million pieces. "Once I'm done with Vader," he vowed, "he'll come to wish he never set foot in this galaxy!"

Padme paced back and forward in front of her bed, her brow creased in worry. Biting her lip, she ceased as she stared through her window, watching the sun begin to peek over the horizon. A chilly breeze drifted through the open window, stinging her skin. She shivered.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She hurried into her huge closet. Racks of her dresses and clothes lined the wall, along with Anakin's Jedi robes, formal and informal, and his other clothes. She raced down the center, to where Anakin kept his cloaks. She grabbed his favorite, a long black one, and wrapped it around herself. Immediately, warmth seeped into her. She brought the fabric to her nose, breathing in the sweet scent **(help; this is just too sweet)**. Anakin's scent. She sighed. Though she had never told him this, his sweet scent brought her peace. Happiness. Comfort.

Pulling it more tightly around her, she reentered her room. The cold did not seem to bother her anymore. Anakin would always be her savior.

Still, she wanted to hear his voice, and know what was going on with the Empire. She grabbed her comlink, which was by her bedside.

"Anakin?"

"Padme!" She smiled upon hearing his voice, so joyful to hear hers. "How are you? Are you safe? Is that man still. . . ?"

"Yesterday was all right. Nothing happened concerning him. But right after I commed you last. . ." Her voice hardened. "He left more roses, and a chocolate cake. And do you know what he called me?" she spat angrily. "An _angel_."

A low growl escaped from Anakin. He clutched the comm more tightly in his hand. A sickly gold flickered in his bright blue orbs, but was gone just as quickly. "Did he touch you?" he growled.

Padme immediately recoiled at his reaction. "No. . .not yet. Luke and Leia are amazing." She paused. "They. . .well, they caught him spying on me two nights ago. Unfortunately. . .he escaped. B-But I'm fine, Anakin!"

"I swear, if he dares touch you. . ." he sucked in a breath as the Force swirled around him, revealing the extent of his fury. " _I will_ _snap. His. Neck._ " **(I don't know about you guys, but I'm quite enjoying writing all this possessiveness ;)**

"I'll be fine, Anakin **(seems like Padme remembers how dangerous Anakin is when he's angry)**. Luke and Leia will protect me. But thank you." She sighed. "I miss you so terribly, Ani."

"Likewise, my angel. Hopefully I'll be back soon. Unfortunately, Maul is up to some of his tricks. . ." He sighed in annoyance. "I'm headed to Kamino soon to keep more Imperial troops from being cloned. Maul, the kriffing fool, decided to contact the Prime Minister and tell him that I was an enemy, headed there to destroy all of the clones and limit their supply of troops. Now they are ready for me, with two hundred stormtroopers."

Padme gasped. "Anakin, how are you going to defeat two hundred stormtroopers single-handedly?"

He grinned. "Fear not, my love. They are no match for 'The Hero With No Fear'."

Padme rolled her eyes. "Stay safe, Anakin. I want you returned back to me in one piece."

He laughed. "Oh, don't worry. I won't become a mechanical monster this time," he teased.

Padme smirked. "I'll hold you to that promise." She paused. "I love you, Anakin. Please don't leave me again. I want my Anakin always, not Vader."

"I won't, Padme. I promise. Love you too, my angel. Stay safe."

After breakfast, Padme settled onto the couch in her room, watching a holomovie on the Jedi Order. It seemed so long ago. Now there were almost no Force beings left in the galaxy.

She laughed. The actor that played Anakin looked nothing like her beloved. As did the actor that played Obi-Wan. For that matter, none of the actors looked like the actual people. She giggled, imagining Anakin's reaction.

 _"Is that supposed to be me?" Anakin asked, disgusted. "That guy's hair looks ridiculous! That scar looks so fake! And besides, you can tell that he dyed his hair! And got a fake tan! I mean, come on! Do people seriously think that he looks similar to me?! No one can, or will ever be able to copy my amazing look." He thought for a moment. "Or my awesome Jedi skills. No one can rival the powers of 'The Chosen One'! He doesn't even come close! Dooku would have slit his neck in the first second!" **(OH MY GOSH I CAN'T HELP IT- this is beyond hilarious I'm laughing so hard; just in case you guys were wondering, me putting in Anakin's sense of humor was a make up for the heartbreaking scenes in part 3 of His Everything ;)**_

 _He grinned at her, smirking teasingly, as a smile overtook her face._

She fell back onto the couch, laughing with mirth. Her Anakin had such a good sense of humor. She really loved him dearly.

Suddenly, Leia poked her head through the door. She seemed to have something to say to Padme, but as soon as she saw "Anakin" on the screen, her eyes widened. " _Is that supposed to be Dad?_ "

Padme burst out into another fit of laughter. "Yes," she choked.

Leia joined her. "A-Anyway," she said, trying to pull herself together, "you have a visitor. The guy from yesterday. He seems pretty sweet, actually **(Leia's not as practiced with the Force, and he has his mental walls up)**. Do you want to see him real quick? I'll be right outside, and Luke is in front of the complex with the rebels. If anything happens, and for some reason the rebels and I don't catch him, Luke will. He's right under your balcony. And we searched the man; he has no weapons, or anything at all, except some stuff he brought for you."

"Sure," Padme shrugged, clicking off the holomovie. "Send him in."

Leia retreated, and returned with the man Padme had met yesterday. He was just as she remembered: dark hair, bright green eyes, charming smile, and a kind, respectful countenance. He was carrying a bunch of alstroemerias **(see below for picture and description)** a case full of fruit, and a box of chocolate.

He smiled at her. "Good morning, Miss Padme. How are you?"

"Good." She gave him a smile.

Leia cut her eyes at the man, and then turned to Padme. "I'll be right back." Giving the man a pointed look, she left.

"I thought you looked a little lonely yesterday, so I decided to give you some company for a little bit. You don't mind, do you?" he asked, looking at her.

"No, not at all. Thank you for coming." Was her loneliness really that obvious?

"I haven't seen you around, so I assume you've been here for a while. I decided to bring you some fresh fruit, you know, just so you could have something different."

"Oh. . .thank you." He seemed really nice. So considerate.

He opened it, revealing an assorted variety of fruits, many from Naboo. "I hope you enjoy them. I also got you some chocolate, just because it's amazing, and it reminded me of your eyes." He smiled, placing everything on her bed.

"Thank you," she said. "I really appreciate the gesture. That's very kind of you."

"I also brought you so flowers," he continued. "Alstroemerias are very beautiful, just like you, and they smell wonderful, just like you. I hope you like them."

"Thank you. . . ? I'm so sorry, what's your name."

He paused. "Maximilian."

"Thank you so much, Maximilian. I love them."

He smiled earnestly. I'm so glad, Miss Padme. I picked them out just for you."

She smiled back. "What's your home planet?"

"Corellia. What about you?"

"Naboo."

"Oh, it's gorgeous in Naboo! Naboo is probably the most beautiful planet in the galaxy."

She smiled happily. "I know! The scenery is amazing! I love it there."

"So do I," he said, gazing at her intently. "We are so similar, you and I." Suddenly, he leaned forward and kissed her.

 **I hope you all enjoyed part 17 of Reunited at Last! I worked really hard on this chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated!**


	18. Part 18

500 Republica was a place for only the richest, most prestigious beings in the galaxy. Most were senators whose names were known on every planet, even those that were beyond the Outer Rim. One of these senators was the beautiful Padme Amidala, famous for not only her work throughout the galaxy, but for her captivating beauty. It was on her that a pair of intense green eyes were fixed. Almost nobody in the galaxy knew she was there . . . but of course he did. He had been waiting decades for her. And his patience would finally become worth it. Soon.

The man to whom the green eyes belonged was currently situated in a small, but very fancy and exclusive penthouse, just across the street from 500 Republica. He did not often use it, as he was often traveling the galaxy, or in his home world **(which, by the way, is** _ **not**_ **Corellia).** Not to mention the fact that, well, he had just returned from the netherworld of the Force.

He watched _her_ enter 500 Republica, Ms. Skywalker Junior in the lead, and Jedi Skywalker Junior **(for some reason, typing those names crack me up every time)** trailing close behind. As the object of his captivation and her escort disappeared into the building, the Jedi positioned himself outside of it, along with ten other men, each shouldering a blaster. He grimaced. It would be so much easier to claim _her_ if only those meddling Skywalkers would stay out of it. He scowled at himself in the long mirror, flexing. What did she see in Skywalker?

HE was much more handsome, much more fit, he told himself. Superior to Skywalker in every way **(*cough* you wish *cough)**.

He smirked as he slowly pulled on an expensive silk tunic, tight enough to show every detail of his chest. Finally, his plan was starting to be put into action. Soon, he would have the senator.

His smile faded. Unfortunately, the plans were not yet fully formed as to how to get around Jedi Skywalker Junior and Ms. Skywalker Junior. But he would get a treat today. His smile was back into place, as he licked his lips hungrily. It was almost time.

He glanced back into the full length mirror, looking satisfied at his reflection. As usual, he looked perfect. Dark hair, styled back in a natural swoop that made all the ladies want to run their fingers through it? Check. Shining emerald green eyes, glowing mischievously in a way that made the ladies swoon? Check. Mouth turned up in a teasing smirk that made all the ladies go mad? Check. Clothes pulled tightly over a perfect body that made all the ladies drool? Check.

He smiled confidently. How in the galaxy had Padme ever let him go? He was _way_ more handsome, more gorgeous than Anakin Skywalker could ever be. Also _way_ more fit. His body was to die for. He flexed his muscles. He would make her see that he was far more superior than that _upstart_ Jedi.

Grabbing a bunch of fresh alstroemerias, a box of fresh Nubian fruit, and a fancy book of chocolates, he gave one last dashing smile at himself in the mirror before he left his room. Of course, the alstroemerias were to throw Ms. Skywalker Junior off track. If he brought roses, he doubted she would let him in. He scoffed. _Friendship and devotion. Whatever. As if that was what he really wanted from Padme Amidala._

He strode out into the hallway of his fancy penthouse. Mirrors lined the glamorous hallway. Sending each mirror a flirtatious wink, as if each one was a gorgeous female **(yet another reason why we Anidala fans cannot stand him- he is 1. a player 2. he struts 3. is overconfident for no reason 4. is dishonest 5. is vain 6. has no good traits 7. do I really need to say anything else?)** , he strutted towards the oaken door across from him. Once outside, he slammed it shut, causing the mirrors to rattle in their frames.

He smirked. He could imagine Skywalker's expression when he came back from whatever mission he was on; the enraged look on his face when he realized Padme had been taken from him; the look of hurt as he realized Padme loved and adored _him_. It would be all too entertaining.

Commoners nodded in respect as he passed his head and shoulders raised high in confidence. His wealthy attire, to say nothing of his superior expression, made it clear to everyone that he demanded(not to say he received ;) nothing less than the respect shown to the chancellor. Arriving at 500 Republica, he paused reluctantly, plastering a fake smile on his face. Jedi Stkywalker Junior nodded at him politely, a slightly suspicious look crossing his otherwise impassive features. He entered quickly, trying to avoid eye contact, acting as if it disgusted him.

The marble floors gleamed under his feet as he trod onto the velvet carpet, leading to the elevators, made of solid gold. The one before him opened with a pleasant ding, and he stepped inside, instructing it to take him to floor 1,005 **(it took me like an hour to figure out that 500 Republica had 1,010 floors, but it refused to tell me what floor Padme was on, so I made it up)** , where Padme was. When the doors slid open, he strode out into the hallway, stopping at the door to Padme's suite. It was guarded by Ms. Skywalker Junior, along with five rebels.

"I'm here to see Senator Padme Amidala," he said pleasantly. "I bumped into her yesterday and thought she seemed lonely. I thought I might visit her and keep her company for a few minutes. She seems like a very kind and agreeable person," he said smoothly.

She nodded slowly, searching his face, as the rebels searched him for weapons. "I'll see if she'll admit you."

She walked inside. He stood there for a few minutes, whistling merrily. After a bought of laughter from inside, Ms. Skywalker Junior came out. "She'll see you for a few minutes."

He followed her into the apartment, which was richly furnished, very clean, and filled with the scent of Padme's favorite perfume. Five more rebels were outside her partially closed door. They entered, and Padme looked up from a comfy velvet couch. She seemed to be watching something- a Holomovie? On the screen was a movie of _Skywalker's "heroic accomplishments."_ He gritted his teeth, but smiled pleasantly.

She clicked the screen off and rose, smiling at him. She was irresistibly beautiful today: her chocolate curls fell smoothly down her back, and she was wearing a simple gown that showed off her lovely neck and bosom **(picture below)**.

"Good morning, Miss Padme," he said, with a charming smile. "How are you?"

"Good."

Ms. Skywalker Junior cut her eyes at him, and then turned to Padme. "I'll be right back." Giving him a pointed look, she left.

"I thought you looked a little lonely yesterday, so I decided to give you some company for a little bit. You don't mind, do you?" he asked, looking at her.

"No, not at all. Thank you for coming."

"I haven't seen you around, so I assume you've been here for a while. I decided to bring you some fresh fruit, you know, just so you could have something different."

"Oh. . .thank you." She smiled, her eyes bright. She seemed to be falling for him already. Perfect.

He opened the parcel, revealing an assorted variety of fruits, many some of Naboo's specialty. Of course, he had picked those on purpose. "I hope you enjoy them. I also got you some chocolate, just because it's amazing, and it reminded me of your eyes." He smiled, placing everything on her bed.

As they continued their conversation, and he continued to lavish her in compliments, her eyes began to sparkle, and her smile widened.

Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer. He leaned forward and captured her perfect pink lips. She started violently, but was obviously too startled to react. He took advantage of her surprise, grabbing her hips and pulling her to him, fastening his arm around her waist tightly as if to keep her from pulling away. He passionately kissed her, forcing her lips open and sticking his tongue inside. She still seemed frozen- she had moved a single inch. She didn't kiss him back or restrain him; just stood there as if petrified.

Finally, after several long moments, she jerked away, gasping with air, and stared at him in horror.

". . . What . . . ?! . . . What are you d-doing . . . ?!"

Padme couldn't move. She couldn't react. Her brain was frozen as she vaguely felt his lips hungrily on hers, and felt him pull her towards him, fastening a strong arm around her waist. Her eyesight went fuzzy, and her brain screamed in annoyance as she desperately tried to figure out what was happening. She couldn't think. Time had frozen and her brain with it. She could barely register his tongue slipping into her mouth.

Suddenly, it all came at her with the force of a bullet. Maximilian was _kissing_ her. _Kissing her._ What . . . ?! How . . . ?! What would Anakin think?! How would he feel when he heard about this?! What was she doing . . . ?! How had she let this happen?!

She jerked away from him and staggered back, gasping for air. Unsteady on her feet, she stumbled, catching herself on the edge of a side table. In the process of trying to catch her footing, she knocked everything off of it. The sound of glass shattering onto the marble floor rang into the silent room, as crashes followed it. She barely registered any of this. All she could do was stare at him in complete and utter horror. How dare he! But did he mean . . . ?! How could he know she was married?! What were his intentions?!

He was looking at her, with concern and surprise evident in his features . . . but also a look of hunger in the depths of his eyes?

He came towards her, the hunger in his eyes immediately disappearing, replaced by concern. "Miss! Are you alright? What's the matter?"

". . . What . . . ?! . . . What are you d-doing . . . ?!" she cried.

Thanks for reading! Follows, favorites, and reviews are much appreciated!


	19. Part 19

**Note: As I said in the message to my followers, when I first started planning the plot, which was a year ago, I didn't realize that stormtroopers weren't actually clones, as I had just gotten into the fandom and I hadn't done a single bit of research(I had just watched the prequels and gotten obsessed). Consequently, the plot is not exactly right, as I didn't know the difference. I can't really change the intended plot, since that's what my whole story was planned around. I only came up with the stalker part a month after I first published the book. Therefore, the facts will not be correct. If you don't like it, don't read my book. No complaining, please. Thank you.**

 **Also, no one but Sidious and the Jedi know that Anakin is Darth Vader. They think that Anakin turned to the Dark Side and then died on Mustafar.**

The Prime Minister of Kamino was slightly suspicious. He leaned back in his chair, thinking over the events of the last few days. Before their recent conversation a few hours ago, he hadn't heard anything from Darth Maul for a couple days, which was suspicious in itself. The aggravating but powerful Sith Lord loved to lord his power over everyone else. Which meant he called upon the Prime Minister almost _every single day_ to give him directions and tell him what to do, all while having a superior look on his face. The worst part was the end of their conversation, when Darth Maul found the need to remind him how superior he was, how inferior the Prime Minister was to him, and how wise it would be to avoid the many horrible consequences he could inflict upon them by following his each and every order quickly, silently, and obediently.

It was highly annoying, but he knew helping the Sith would be in his, and his planet's, best interest. Not only because the Sith were currently the most powerful beings in the galaxy, being the head of the Empire, but also because they were paying him millions of credits for his help. This didn't just make _him_ rich and wealthy; it also increased the prosperity of the planet by tenfold. Firstly, it allowed the Kaminoan people to keep hundreds of slaves to do their dirty work while they heightened the superiority of their technology. Having technology and knowledge superior to any other planet in the galaxy would give them a great advantage. They just had to beat the prestigious technology and wealth of Coruscant by furthering improvement on their cloning technology. Secondly, (after he had taken a few million credits for himself), the millions of credits went to making the planet rich and prosperous. Oh, no . . . he would not risk the millions of credits, along with the wealth and prosperity of Kamino by getting angry at Darth Maul for acting superior.

He realized his thoughts had strayed from his original train of thought, so he quickly resumed his thought on the suspicious things that had been happening over the last few days. Not only had Maul not contacted him for a couple days, but when he _had_ a few hours ago, he had seemed anxious, slightly nervous, and even more malicious than usual. Before, and during their conversation, he had been constantly peeking behind him, as if to make sure that he wasn't being followed or watched. And just before Maul had inactivated the holoprojector . . . he thought he had seem a dark figure lurking in the shadows behind him. Of course, it could have just been a shadow, or his imagination, but still . . .

And another Jedi? All the Jedi were dead! The Jedi Order was destroyed, Anakin Skywalker had turned to the Dark Side and then died on Mustafar. Obi-Wan Kenobi was dead. Yoda had probably died in hiding, if he wasn't already killed 22 years ago when the Sith had first revealed their true identity and taken over the galaxy. The news that another Jedi could be coming to Kamino . . . was a little suspicious. Besides, unless the Jedi was like confident and headstrong Anakin Skywalker **(*cough, cough*)** , that person wouldn't be foolish enough to come _alone_.

Well, whatever annoyance he felt under Maul's leadership was nothing compared to the anger he had felt when Lord Vader was in command. Vader scared him like no one else ever had- and probably ever would. Even more than the Emperor himself. He had a kind of silent, formidable presence that scared the heck out of everyone who saw him. When he walked by you, you could just feel the power radiating off him . . . a rare kind of power no one else in the galaxy seemed to possess **(sorry, fangirling like crazy at the moment, can't help it ;)**. The Prime Minister feared him above all other beings in the universe. Having him in command was equally stressful and frightening. The fact that he had died on the Death Star brought more relief than he would admit. If Vader ever came back for some reason . . . he would certainly fight, regardless of his planet's well-being. Living in his presence caused way too much stress and anxiety. He did not want any of that in his life. Not to mention all of his men that Vader had killed . . . no. He would not be next. He had already been threatened enough times by the menacing, black-clad figure with no mercy **(The Villain With No Mercy XD sorry)**. Lord Vader was just too terrifying. It would not do for him to be in command again.

But that was foolish thinking. He did not know the ways of the Force, but he was sure that beings certainly could not come back from the Force. Could they?

Anakin felt like abandoning his mission, jumping onto a ship, flying to Coruscant, and running all the way to Padme **(*cough* we all know how he thinks by now. Rebellious. No sense of duty. A total bad boy and pretty darn awesome. Good for you, Anakin. Thinking about abandoning your *cough*** _ **very**_ **important mission for Padme. How many times have you, or at least contemplated, abandoning your galaxy-saving mission for Padme? Not that I'm complaining ;) #anakinpadmeforlife )**.

"The Force be damned!" he muttered, glaring into space. First, he had to live in secret with her, without ever getting to express his feelings for her in public because of the stupid Jedi council. Second, he had to try to save her from death in children. Third, he killed her and turned to the dark side. Fourth, he had to live twenty-two years without her working for Sidious(with just the slight detail that he was half robot and needed a support suit and prosthetic limbs **(sorry for the interruption again. Can I just say that I love Anakin's sense of humor? Writing about it is so entertaining. As is reading the scipt for AotC and RotS. Read them if you haven't already)** ). Then, he was _finally_ reunited with her _at last_ , only to find out that he had to be separated from her again. Not only that, but his mother had died, he had destroyed the Jedi Counsel, basically killed Mace Windu, and lost his best friend and beloved mentor, Obi-Wan(might just he add that he hadn't just lost him; they had tried to kill each other for some random reason). The Force _really_ had it in for him.

He missed Padme so much his heart hurt. His body ached. And this time, he could actually feel physical pain, unlike before when he was a menacing black robot. She was his other piece. His everything. They had only been separated for about a week, yet after all those horrible years spent apart . . . it felt like a lifetime. What he would give to be able to hold her in his arms again . . . but he shook his head violently as if to clear it and took a deep breath. No. He could not think about Padme anymore. If he did . . . he'd probably abandon his mission _right then and there_ to go see her again. The agony was unbearable.

Anakin strode up the ramp of the small ship before him, stormtroopers standing at attention. He was debating on taking his TIE Advanced x1, but after some contemplation on the matter, he realized that it would be smarter to appear as Darth Maul said he would. Since Maul had already told The Prime Minister of Kamino that an enemy, a possible Jedi, was coming to eliminate the Empire's supply of stormtroopers, he could not just go to Kamino and order that stormtroopers stop being produced. That would be very suspicious, and raise a lot of questions. Though he _was_ probably the most powerful man in the galaxy at the moment, raising suspicion and not acting cautiously would be very unwise. Having the Empire's allies turn against him would not be ideal- not at all. They _were_ pretty powerful, and one man, however powerful he was, could not do much against millions of enemies. It would also cause problems for the rebellion, who would immediately rush to his aid. Not only would hundreds, maybe thousands of rebels die, it would be even more fishy to have rebels fighting alongside Darth Vader. No. That would not do. Besides, was there any reason Lord Vader would order the cloning of more stormtroopers to be stopped? No. The more powerful the Empire, the better. No, that would be very suspicious. Besides, the Prime Minister of Kamino certainly didn't like him, he was sure of that, and probably only obeyed him out of fear. Not only would it be strange to have Darth Vader alive again when he supposedly died, but it would certainly make the Prime Minister very angry. Who knew what he would do with just one Vader and thousands of Kaminoans. No, he did not want to risk any of that. The chances of things going badly was way too high.

It was decided. He would take off his suit, don his former black Jedi robes, and destroy everything that contributed to the cloning process. The Prime Minister would think he was a Jedi and no one would know his actually identity.

The door of the small ship **(you know I did an hour of research trying find a decent sized ship that wasn't as small as Anakin's Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor and at the same time wasn't as big as the Model 11-S Space Yacht but at the end I just gave up so now it's called a small ship XD)** he had just boarded slid shut. Anakin remembered when the Empire had acclaimed it. Those poor rebels.

Since on one else was aboard the ship but him, he took his mask off, sighing in relief as the wave of fresh air hit him. Throwing it on the co-pilots chair, he went to the small room in the back and began taking off the heavy armor. He didn't think anyone would ever understand how tiring it was to walk around in a suit like him. Taking the cloak off of the armor, he put it over the black Jedi robes he had been wearing underneath the suit and quickly donned it, immediately taking the light saber from the suit and clipping it onto his own belt. Finally relieved of the pressuring heat he had been accustomed to while playing the part of Darth Vader, he looked at himself in the mirror with a satisfied expression. Anakin Skywalker was back **(notice his things and reaction when he looks in the mirror is much different from those of our friend Maximilian ;)**.

He strode over to the cockpit, threw himself into the captain's chair, and quickly set the course for Kamino. The engine started, and soon he had left the Executor far behind. He got ready to go into light speed **(you know on Hyperspace Mountain in Disneyland where you're going very slowly up this part and then "go into light speed," and the ride gets all crazy and the Force Theme starts playing really loud? That's my favorite part, and what I'm imagining and REALLY missing right now)** , smiling to himself.

"This is where the fun begins."

 **Ahhhhhhhhh I love that part and that quote ;)**

 **Anyway . . .**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! Follows, favorites, and reviews much appreciated, as always :)**


	20. Part 20

Leia was standing in the sitting room, keeping her eyes on the partially closed door of Padme's room. She listened intently for any signs of distress or of a struggle, with five of the rebels by her side. For a few minutes, everything seemed calm and all they heard were the murmurs of pleasant conversation. Good thing Padme was wearing a simple, modest gown. It was always better to be on the safe side with men when concerning Padme. She was too beautiful for her own good. That was what had gotten them into this stalker mess in the first place.

Suddenly, a crash broke the silence, jerking Leia out of her thoughts. Several thumps followed. Immediately, Leia dashed into the room, with the rebels following suite. _Luke!_ she yelled through their Force bond. _Come quickly!_

When the door was slammed open, an alarming sight met her. A glass vase was in pieces on the floor, the water that had once been inside it spreading over the marble tiles. Rose petals were strewn all over the mess. The polished side table lay on its side on the floor, books, ornaments, holomovies, and other objects scattered around it. And in the center of the chaos . . . Padme, her hair a mess and her dress wrinkled, her expression a mixture of horror, surprise, and fear **(of what Anakin would think)**. Her cheeks were glowing with two bright spots of color, her face was pale, and her lips looked on the verge of bleeding.

The man, Maxiass, or whatever, stood beside her, looking concerned. "I'm so sorry, Miss Padme." He looked upset, wringing his hands as he darted terrified glances over to where Leia stood. "Oh . . . d-did the kiss upset you?"

 _Hold on . . ._ Leia thought. _KISS?!_

"W-Was it really that bad? Oh, I-I'm so sorry, Miss. It's just . . . " he looked shyly at her, "y-you're so beautiful, and so smart, and so kind, and such a strong, confident woman . . . I couldn't help it. I-I feel this spark, this connection with you, that I-I've never felt with anyone else. It's like the Force is calling out to me, telling me that you're the one," he stammered. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't know how to explain it because it _doesn't exist_ ," Leia snapped, cutting her eyes at him. If looks could kill, he would have died on the spot. "She's not 'the one'. You just met. And _for your information,_ she's _married._ Hate to break it to you, but she's taken. So cry a river, build a bridge, and _get over it._ She's in love with someone else," Leia spat.

For a second, the man's eyes flashed angrily, and he looked as if he wanted to hit someone. His enraged expression quickly smoothed over, however, and it had been so brief that Leia doubted whether it had happened at all. Still, a shadow remained behind his heartbroken eyes, causing Leia to suspect that perhaps the man wasn't as nice as he seemed.

Her train of thought was broken when Luke entered, along with ten other rebels. He narrowed his eyes at the man, crossing his arms. "I think it's time for you to leave," he said in any icy tone. "I'd be more than happy to escort you out."

Grabbing his arm harshly, Luke motioned to the strongest of the men, who quickly and forcefully took hold of his other arm. Padme looked as if she almost felt bad. "I'm sorry, Maximilian," she apologized. "I'm not interested. But thank you for your kindness."

The man looked like he wanted to say something; however, he just took a deep breath and nodded, looking half bitter and half heartbroken. "I-I see. I-I apologize for imposing my apparently _unwanted_ attention on you. I should've know a beauty like you would already be married. Who, may I ask, is the beyond lucky man?" His expression showed that he throughly wanted to throttle Padme's husband.

"None of your business," Leia snapped, her eyes cold. "The bottom line: mess with Padme again and Luke's lightsaber will be at your throat. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," the man said bitterly. He shot one last look at Padme, and was then dragged out of the apartment complex.

The taste of her lips was intoxicating. He would never get tired of it. The feel of her soft body pressed up against his, the smoothness of her skin . . . The feel of her silky locks, which smelled so like Nubian roses . . . Oh . . . Once she was his, his life would be complete. He would never regret that kiss, much less his actions afterward.

Apparently, she did. The fact made him burn with fury. The horror in her expression once she realized what had just happened made him almost grit his teeth in anger. Soon she would regret that. Soon she would be begging him for more . . . which he would gladly give. Once the Jedi was gone, she would be all his. The fun they would have . . . she would regret ever ending their relationship.

 _*Flashback*_

"We can't do this anymore," Padme said, looking up at him with those brown eyes he couldn't resist. "I-I'm so sorry. I don't feel anything, any spark between us. If we were to continue this relationship, it would be a total lie. I don't want to do that to you."

"You love me, Padme!" he cried, grabbing her hands and looking desperately into her eyes. "I know you do! You always have, ever since we met!"

"No," she said sadly. "I thought I did, but . . . I don't. Whatever I might have felt in the past is gone. I'm sorry."

"No." He pulled her flush up against him. "I won't accept that. You love me." He tightened his grip on her wrists, tight enough to leave bruises. She cried out in pain, trying to pull away, but it was no use. "Say it," he growled. "Tell me you love me and I'll forget everything else you've said."

She continued to fight. "Let me go!"

"No."

Tears sprung to her eyes as the pain in her wrists increased. "Get your hands off me! I don't belong to you!"

"You do," he growled.

"I believe I just broke up with you!"

He stepped even closer to her, until he was practically breathing down her neck. "Say that again," he threatened, "and _you will regret it._ " He twisted her arms behind her back. "Say that you love me, and I'll release you."

"Never!"

 _*End of Flashback*_ **(In case you're very angry at me for cutting it off there, it will be finished . . . eventually ;)**

He wanted to punish her. To make her feel pain and pleasure. But that would wait. If he took her now, security would catch him in no time. That would be foolish.

Instead, he stepped towards her, feigning surprise and concern. "Miss! Are you alright? What's the matter?"

". . . What . . . ?! . . . What are you d-doing . . . ?!" she cried.

For a split second, anger almost overcame him, but his years of acting was just enough to smooth it under the surface. And just in time. Miss Skywalker Junior barreled into the room, followed by five of the barbarians.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Padme." He wrung his hands, doing his best to look upset. "Oh . . . d-did the kiss upset you?"

Miss Skywalker Junior's expression turned murderous, and he almost laughed. _Yeah, that's how bad your security is. I was able to kiss her._

"W-Was it really that bad? Oh, I-I'm so sorry, Miss. It's just . . . " he looked shyly at her, "y-you're so beautiful, and so smart, and so kind, and such a strong, confident woman . . . I couldn't help it. I-I feel this spark, this connection with you, that I-I've never felt with anyone else. It's like the Force is calling out to me, telling me that you're the one," he stammered. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't know how to explain it because it _doesn't exist_ ," Miss Skywalker Junior snapped, cutting her eyes at him. "She's not 'the one'. You just met. And _for your information,_ she's _married._ Hate to break it to you, but she's taken. So cry a river, build a bridge, and _get over it._ She's in love with someone else," Leia spat.

For the second time that day, rage threatened to overtake him. He wanted to pull out a blaster and shoot her through the head. However, he regained control of himself just in time, putting his mask of heartbreak and bitterness back onto his face.

Jedi Skywalker Junior suddenly entered, along with ten other rebels. _Ugh. Weren't there enough of them in this galaxy to begin with? Why did Padme have to bring two more of them into the universe?_ The annoying Jedi narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms, the splitting image of his father(except even more ugly). "I think it's time for you to leave," he said in any icy tone. "I'd be more than happy to escort you out."

Grabbing his arm harshly, Luke motioned to the strongest of the men, who quickly and forcefully took hold of his other arm. Padme looked as if she almost felt bad. The man just barely restrained himself from smirking. It was all too easy. "I'm sorry, Maximilian," she apologized. "I'm not interested. But thank you for your kindness."

 _Another rejection?! How dare she!_ He wanted to throw her onto the carpet and slam some sense into her, but instead, he just took a deep breath and nodded, looking half bitter and half heartbroken. "I-I see. I-I apologize for imposing my apparently _unwanted_ attention on you. I should've know a beauty like you would already be married. Who, may I ask, is the beyond lucky man?" He wanted to throttle Anakin Skywalker so badly right now . . . even more than usual . . .

"None of your business," Leia snapped, her eyes cold. "The bottom line: mess with Padme again and Luke's lightsaber will be at your throat. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," the man said bitterly. _Whatever. She'll be mine._ He shot one last look at Padme, and was then dragged out of the apartment complex. Jedi Skywalker Junior and the other barbarian dumped him outside the building. "Feel free to never come back!" he called.

"Oh, I'll be back," he muttered, stalking away, rubbing his arms. He made his way through Coruscant, too angry to even flirt. After wandering through the streets for an hour, burning with anger, he finally reached a local club. Striding inside, he dumped a pile of credits on the counter. The bartender handed him a shot of Coruscant's strongest alcohol. Downing it in one gulp, he ordered another, and another . . . and another. He flung himself into a seat, staring angrily out into the crowd of drunk people. At least he had gotten to kiss Padme. It had almost been as good as _their_ first kiss together . . . except she had given it willingly.

 _*Flashback*_

The couple sat on a beach in Naboo, gazing out over the water. The atmosphere was peaceful, tranquil. Warm rays, almost hot but not quite, beamed down upon them, illuminating the happy faces of both. A slight breeze drifted over the surface of the lake. It blew a stand of Padme's hair into her face, which the young man beside her quickly tucked behind her ear. She laughed gaily. "You don't have to do that. I am quite capable of managing my own hair," she teased playfully.

"I know you are, Padme," he said, playing with her hair. "But I am also quite capable of doing it for you." His mouth turned up into a teasing smirk.

She shook her head, smiling. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"I'm not even going to think about that," he said, his eyes gazing into hers. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He put his arm around her, sighing contently. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He leaned down and kissed her. Their lips met, softly, hesitantly.

The first . . . and one of the last kisses she had given willingly.

 _*End of Flashback*_

It was beautiful. Unforgettable. But he had been young then. He hadn't yet known that love itself was not enough. He hadn't realized the truth until she had given him that kiss. Then he had understood. Love without sex meant nothing. Someone saying 'I love you' meant nothing. Giving your body away to someone, submitting yourself to that person . . . now _that_ meant something. You had to _show_ someone that you loved them. You couldn't just say it and expect them to believe it. That meant nothing.

He had gotten aggressive in the time after. But how could she expect him not to? How could she expect to just say she loved him, and then refuse to show him so? How could she expect him to not take what was his?

Then she had broken up with him. He growled. She would be punished soon enough. Slamming his seventh glass onto the counter, he made his way to the nearest female, who was currently thrusting her enormous bosom at every male in sight. He threw her a pile a credits and led her towards the nearest empty room. For now, he would satisfy himself with less than worthy women. But soon, he would have a woman worthy of even him . . . and she would be _all his._

 **Explanation: the history between Padme and "Maximilian" is not completely correct. So you can't just do some research on Google and figure out who the stalker is. I decided to just make up a backstory, because 1. there wasn't very much info to begin with 2. it's more fun and 3. so you guys won't figure out who the stalker is yet ;)**

 **Clarification: Padme didn't necessarily _love_ "Maximilian", for those Anidala fans that are gasping in anger and horror. He was kind, charming, and handsome, and you know how young girls think. She had a crush on him and she thought it was love. "Maximilian" was infatuated with her for her looks, her confidence, and her power. It wasn't really love either. It was complete and utter infatuation. After their first kiss, he got aggressive and wanted more, so she ended it with him. I hope that clears things up.**


	21. Part 21

Anakin was enjoying the peace that flying gave him. It made him feel free. The majority of his life had been spent feeling trapped: by slavery, by rules and stupid codes, and worst of all- by a ridiculous life support suit. It was so relieving to finally be rid of that horrible black suit; he had spent too many years in it to not despise it with a passion. Leaning forward, he adjusted the controls, going into light speed. As soon as the transition was complete, he stretched himself out in the pilot's seat, carefully putting his feet on a place on the control panel where it wouldn't disturb anything. Taking a deep breath of sweet, fresh air and reveling in the sense of freedom he felt, Anakin closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force.

To his alarm, he sensed a faint signal of alarm coming from Padme's Force signature. His eyes opened, darting over to his comlink on the chair beside him. It was flashing.

He snatched it up. "Padme? Is that you?"

"Well, well, is it not the famous General Skywalker?"

"Who the kriff are you?!" Anakin growled. "Where's Padme?!"

The sneering voice continued nonchalantly, as if he hadn't even spoken. "What a pleasure to hear from you. In fact," the voice mused, "you were exactly the person I was looking for! What a coincidence!"

 _"I want to know,"_ Anakin snarled, _"who the kriff you are, and where the kriff Padme-"_

The voice interrupted. "Yes, quite an honor, General Skywalker. I am quite honored. So much so that I am shaking in my boots with fear and reverence," the voice said mockingly. "Scary, scary General Skywalker! The Hero With No Fear! Oh dear! I'm about to faint!"

"I hope you realize exactly how kriffing stupid you sound. You sound like you have the intelligence level of a shaak. And a shaak, in case you don't know . . . well, saying it has a low intelligence level is an understatement. "

"Oh yeah?" the voice shouted, suddenly very angry . "Well, I hope _you_ realize exactly how ugly you are!" The voice paused, most likely thinking up a good roast. "In fact, you're as ugly as a . . . warthog!"

"Hate to break it to you, man, but . . . " Anakin sighed dramatically. "You look like Jabba the Hutt. Well, that's what I can tell from your voice. It rumbles just like his. Very attractive. I hope dearly that the voice you're using is a classic prank-call voice, and not your actual voice. And that you don't have _all_ the qualities of Jabba the Hutt. Unfortunately, the odds are not looking good to me."

The voice sputtered, furious. "W-Well . . . y-you! Um, you . . . you're voice sounds like a warthog's voice, too!"

"Huh." Anakin pretended to think. "Last time I checked, warthogs didn't speak. Do you know something I don't, or are you just incredibly idiotic? Oh, wait! Maybe you're talking about the one in the Lion King!"

There was more sputtering from the other end. "That's . . . that's not the point! We're getting off topic! The point is, I'm stealing your wife!"

Anakin's jesting and playful mood immediately evaporated. His eyes blazing with barely controlled anger, he swung his feet off the control panel and set them none too gently on the floor, knocking his cloak off the chair beside him in the process. "Let me remind you," he growled, "that _you_ were the one who got off topic with your juvenile and stupid antics. Now, why don't I ask you again, hmm? _Where. Is. Padme?"_

The sputtering was replaced by a malicious laugh. "Hmm, now, that's not really your concern anymore, is it?" There was a dramatic pause. "Oh, wait! It never was! Why? Oh! Maybe because you were her second choice! Maybe because she was in love with me from the start, and that's why it took her so long to "admit" to her love for you! Because it was non-existent!"

"Padme loves me," Anakin said in an even tone. "I know she does. If this is the argument you're using to try and upset or blackmail me, I'm going to laugh. It's quite a pathetic argument. If you're aiming to upset or blackmail me, I suggest you use a stronger argument- but that's only my opinion. Do whatever you want.

"Another thing," Anakin said in a harder tone. "Why don't you stop dreaming up fantasies and consider the fact that maybe you _made up_ her supposed love for you? Why don't you get your big head out of the clouds and realize that daydreams are almost never true? What will it take for you to understand that?"

"I don't have a big head!" the voice shouted, enraged. "Besides, you have an ever bigger head!" **(Lamest roast I could think of)**

Anakin sighed. "Your attempts to insult me are so bad that I almost feel sorry for you. Do you want lessons? 100 credits per hour!"

There was more stuttering at the other end. "That's not the point either! Anyway, I'm much more handsome than you will ever be! I don't even know how Padme can look at you without barfing with me to look at! Watch out, Anakin Skywalker! Padme Amidala will be mine very soon!"

The comlink beeped as the man hung up. Anakin tossed it onto the chair beside him, grabbing the controls, his eyes flashing gold. "Not if I can help it. First, I just have to deal with a rebellious Sith Lord and a few hundred stormtroopers and Kaminoans."

Padme was searching her apartment at the 500 Republica frantically for her missing comlink. "Where did it go?!" she exclaimed in frustration. "It was right on the table beside my bed! How could it be missing?"

Leia came from the kitchen with an irritated expression. "I searched everywhere. It's nowhere to be found. What could have happened?"

Padme flung herself on the couch. "I'm not sure. Today was so busy and chaotic . . . I can't remember anything in particular." Her mind flashed back to the events of that morning. "Wait . . . "

*Flashback*

Maximilian stood beside her, looking concerned. "I'm so sorry, Miss Padme." He looked upset, wringing his hands as he darted terrified glances over to where Leia stood. "Oh . . . d-did the kiss upset you?"

"W-Was it really that bad? Oh, I-I'm so sorry, Miss. It's just . . . " he looked shyly at her , "y-you're so beautiful, and so smart, and so kind, and such a strong, confident woman . . . I couldn't help it. I-I feel this spark, this connection with you, that I-I've never felt with anyone else. It's like the Force is calling out to me, telling me that you're the one," he stammered. "I don't know how to explain it."

"You don't know how to explain it because it _doesn't exist_ ," Leia snapped, cutting her eyes at him. He had his hands behind his back, nervous twisting them, _or so she had thought._ But really . . . he was twisting his hands back to grab her comlink, which was situated on the couch behind him! Then he had tucked it into the back of his tunic . . .

*End of Flashback*

Padme jumped up. "Maximilian took it! But . . . why? Did he think it was his? But then why did he take it so discreetly?"

"Who? The guy Maxiass?"

Padme rolled her eyes jokingly. "Yes."

"I thought I saw his hands moving behind his back, but I was too focused on killing him with my eyes to pay attention. Too bad it didn't work." Leia paused. "But why would he think it was his? He didn't take his out, did he?"

"No."

"So he would have no reason to think that your comlink was his! Combined with the inconspicuous way he took yours . . . I think something suspicious is going on."

Leia pulled her comlink off of her belt. "Luke?"

"Hey, what's up, sis? Everything okay?"

"Yeah, but . . . Luke, the bastard who came over took Padme's comlink."

"Really?" Luke asked, shocked. "Why?"

"We don't know," Leia replied, her voice wary. "He just took it. Inconspicuously, I might add. It's strange."

"Oh, it's strange all right." Luke paused. "I'm going to investigate."

Leaving the entrance of 500 Republica with ten guards on the alert, Luke swiftly headed for the ISB Central Office. Luckily, the Legislative District was situated only a block or two away, so it would only take a few minutes to walk there, minus the traffic caused by the thousands of people wandering the streets of the Core of Coruscant. Luke sighed, slightly annoyance. Many people were only there to gawk at the magnificence of the buildings or stalk random famous people. His expression darkened as the stalker came to mind. He would find out who that bastard was and kill him.

Luke lifted the hood of his cloak to cover his head, quickening his pace. It would be best to keep his identity unknown. He didn't particularly want to draw attention to himself. Who knows what creepy people with nothing to do with their lives would follow him if they knew his identity. He was still single. Probably for life, but no other female on the planet except Leia and Padme seemed to accept that fact. Damn his good-looking father.

A loud giggle distracted him. It was coming from a young girl of only about sixteen, surrounded by a group of friends who looked just as drunk as she did. She hiccuped loudly, and then giggled again. "Oh my gosh!" she cried. "That guy is _so_ hot! I'm going to go ask him out!"

The girls around her giggled, sneaking glances at one of the poor guards who had gone to pick up some food for their dinner. He was younger than the others, with light brown hair and a smile that had been replaced by a look of almost terror. Laden with packages and boxes, he looked like he was trying to use them as a shield. Luke, amused, but feeling pity for the guy, headed in their direction.

The girl swayed on her feet, then staggered towards the guy, sloshing her drink onto the pavement. "Hey, mister! Want to . . . ?!" Suddenly, she turned to the side, and threw up on the floor. The guard recoiled, trying but failing to escape, as he was now surrounded by an amused crowd. Luke strode up, taking the man by the shoulders and steering him out of the circle. A woman began to complain, annoyed that her entertainment was being taken away, but one glance from Luke silenced her. The guard breathed a relieved thank you to him as soon as he was free of the crowd, and hurried back to 500 Republica as fast as he could go.

The crowd began to break up, and Luke headed back to the girl, clutching her stomach and mumbling to herself. He waved a hand in front of her face. "I will go home and be a good child."

She looked up, her eyes glazed. "I will go home and be a good child."

"I will never drink alcohol again."

"I will never drink alcohol again."

"I will go home and rethink my life."

"I will go home and rethink my life."

Satisfied, Luke strode away, once again heading for the ISB Central Office. In just a few minutes, he was there, standing in front of an massive complex the size of several city blocks. The stormtroopers that had once guarded the entrance were gone, replaced by Coruscant officials. These officials had once been Imperial stormtroopers, guarding what had once been the headquarters of the Imperial Security Bureau. Now that the power of the Empire was not on Coruscant (it would remain to be seen how much longer that would last; hopefully forever, if Anakin could completely vanquish its power), it was no longer a secret police organization dedicated to rooting out enemies of the Empire and maintaining stability throughout Imperial territories, but merely a place where all the records of the people on and living in Coruscant could be located. It was not available to common people, nor just anyone, but Luke was fairly sure that he would be allowed to investigate within. The ISB Central Office, he knew, would hold the information he wanted about Maximilian.

He lowered his hood, revealing his identity to the officials. Seeing him, they nodded, and stepped aside to let him pass. Luke stepped through the grand entrance, noting that the decorations still consisted of the former Emperor Palpatine's favorite color. a deep, blood red. It was everywhere: on the plush carpet, painted on the wall, on the glinting jewels lining the ceiling. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. After this was all over, he was going to have to redecorate.

Luke made his way to the main control center of the computer terminal, where a huge screen was situated, before which a woman was standing

"Hello," the woman said pleasantly, but guarded. "And who might you be? What are you doing in the ISB Central Office?" She looked calm enough, but Luke noticed the guards lining the walls nearby her. He imagined there were a lot of people who, if they somehow managed to make it past the front guards, had tried to get information they wanted but were not allowed by force in the past. He felt pity for the woman. Who knew what she'd been through before.

"Luke Skywalker," Luke replied. He unclipped his lightsaber and showed it to her. Knowing that a lightsaber could only be acquired by Sith or Jedi, and believing that the only existing humanoid in the galaxy currently who fell under that category _was_ indeed Luke Skywalker, she accepted it, looking over him carefully. He sure as heck looked like him. Checking his lightsaber to make sure it was indeed the lightsaber that he owned, she handed it back to him, her expression slightly relieved that she wasn't dealing with any more violent pychopaths.

"I would like to look up a man around his mid-twenties named Maximilian, from the planet Corellia. He lives in this district, near 500 Republica. Brown hair, green eyes, about five feet nine inches tall."

She nodded, gesturing at him to come over and stand in front of the screen. He complied, eager to find out more about the suspicious man.

Putting some input into the database, she pursed her lips, reading the results. "Maximilian is a very outdated name, apparently. Even considering the very few number of people who can afford to live in the Core of Coruscant. There are seven men with the name you're looking for that live in this district. However, none of them are in their twenties. Three of them are not even human. I assume you are looking for a human, correct?"

Luke nodded. "Yes."

"Are you quite sure that the man you're looking for is human?"

"He does not act like one, but yes."

"Well, none of the men fit your description. Out of the four humans named Maximilian currently in this district, one is a child of seven, one is a child of ten, one is a man of fifty-two, and the last is a man of seventy-six. Is is possible that the man is of those ages?"

Luke wanted to say that the man looked seven or seventy to him, but as this was not a time to joke, he refrained from saying it, instead saying grimly, "are you sure?"

"Very sure, Mr. Skywalker. Everyone who resides in Coruscant even for an hour is recorded wherever they go. I'm sure you know this. Unless prevented from an authoritative figure, a person is recorded whenever and wherever they step foot or land their speeder anywhere. Did this man enter 500 Republica?"

"Yes."

"Then his entrance and information required to enter should be recorded."

With a sinking feeling, Luke realized that he had never had the man put down his information before coming in. He should have let 500 Republica take care of it.

"I-I see. Thank you very much."

There was something very suspicious about this whole matter. And they were nowhere closer to an answer than they had been before. He hoped desperately that the bastard would appear again so he could not only wring his neck for kissing his _married_ mother but choke the information out of him.


End file.
